Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Hello everyone! Welcome to The Singer’s Pet Turtle : A Leonardo x Reader Fanfiction. This is, as it sounds, a reader insert story, starring you! Congratulations. There are a few things that need to be gone over before you start reading for this to make sense. First, age ups. The reader is 20 in this story. The turtles are 21, and April is 22. They have still been exploring above ground since 15, and fighting the kraang and all. Which actually leads me into important thing number two.

Everything is taking much longer. I kinda think of it as a realistic timeline of sorts, or a bit larger than average spacing at least for the first season. The story itself starts by taking place within the second season. While some events don’t really matter, others are mentioned. For example, the turtles destroying TCRI. There will obviously be inconsistencies for the story to work, and many events skipped because you (as the character) are simply not involved. If there is any confusion, please let me know and I can either clarify for you and/or try to edit the text so it makes more sense. 

Finally, this story is intended for mature audiences. From the get go there are mentions of SA happening to the reader, sexual harassment at work, canon violence, and potentially eventual smut. If any of these things bother you OR you are a minor, please do not interact. I can't have that on my conscience. As far as these things being triggering to some, I ask you to be self aware. I don’t know you, only you know you, and if these sorts of things bother you then do what's best for you. Due to the nature of the plot I don't have the ability to warn you before anything is mentioned. It would make things clunky and hard to read. So please, just know yourself and do what's right for you.

All and all the purpose of this story is to entertain so I certainly hope you all enjoy it.  I have no beta reader and this stuff is mostly unedited. Typos, spelling errors, grammar issues, those are bound to happen, but i’ll try my best to avoid it. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter Text

We’ll meet again

Don’t know where, Don’t know when

But we’ll meet again

Some sunny day

“You know, you're one of the best friends I’ve ever had.” She sighed as she placed a gentle hand against her pet’s, no, her friend’s arm for one last time. “Which is why I know I have to let you go. I can’t be selfish.”

Chapter Text

         This wasn’t what she had expected for her life. In fact, it was something she had given up on long, long ago. After all, her father always told her that music would get her nowhere, so why should she hope? That was always the logic, so she never hoped. Instead, she studied. Leaned into the fact that she was a scientific prodigy by every stretch of the imagination. Graduating high school at fifteen, college at nineteen with a double major in microbiology and physics. With pride (y/n) could remember that her father’s dying words were that he was proud of her. 

         So how did she end up here? Pursuing her childhood passion of songs for nearly a year now in a somewhat shady on the outside but gloriously classy on the inside club. Her eyes glanced towards the corner of her mirror where the reflection of her accompanist could be seen leaning against her dressing room door frame. He was rambling on about something. Always rambling on about something. That rambling is what landed her here. Or her kindness as the man, David, would claim. 

         (Y/n) had met David when she was sixteen years old. She had moved to New York City with father a year ago for her to attend college, and David could always be found sleeping outside of her apartment building. If he wasn’t sleeping, he was plucking away on a battery powered keyboard with a plastic cup a few inches in front of him, hoping to earn enough for dinner. He almost never did, that was until (Y/n) began putting fifty-dollar bills into his cup every day.

         She and her father were more than well off. They could afford the daily donation. Hell, they probably could have burnt twenty times that amount and not even feel the dent. So, sharing it, simply felt right. Of course, David grew curious about the young girl with fifty dollars every day and after months of trying finally got her to open up a bit. 

         Every day after her classes the pair would sit together outside and talk as David played. Through their chats she learned that the young man was only eighteen. He graduated high school and got kicked out when his parents found out he wanted to pursue music. Never found his break and ended up on the street. David was exactly what (y/n)’s father always warned her that she would become. Yet he was also the kindest man she ever had the pleasure of interacting with. Even now, as they both stood cleaned and finely dressed only minutes away from taking the stage. 

         At the death of her father, David jumped in to look after (y/n), even though she was more than fine on her own. He sat in the first row of her graduation screaming like a proud brother as she walked across the stage. At the end of the ceremony, he greeted her with the tightest of hugs and a huge bouquet that he admitted bought with money she had lent him. Not that she minded. It was the thought that counted. After that, he moved in with her. Occupying her late father’s room and he searched for jobs throughout the city. 

         They met a crossroads when (y/n) internship with TCRI got cut short due to an unexpected chemical explosion. As they say, however, as one door closes another door opens. For that same afternoon, and (y/n) moped on the couch about her lost opportunity, David came rushing into their apartment with the widest of smiles on his face. Urgently he began begging (y/n) to sing with him for a club audition. 

         At first, she had denied. She didn’t sing in public, she’s only nineteen (underaged for a club), and music was something she gave up on years ago. None of that was enough for David, however. The auditions were open for anyone eighteen and older, he had caught her singing about the apartment more times than he could count. She was good. If all that wasn’t enough, the timing was too perfect. She needed a new job, he potentially had one for them both. So, despite her pride, (y/n) allowed David to drag her to Tsuki no Hana nightclub, owned and operated by the mysterious Oroku Saki and his associates for his associates.

         Of course, at this point, as she carefully painted her lips red, (y/n) had been singing to Mr. Oroku and his affiliates for about a year. In fact, Friday was the anniversary of her and David’s first show. Since they had begun, the pair had captured the hearts of the club’s patriots with their jazzy song covers. Mr. Oroku himself found them worthy of being rewarded. After first it was fine suits for David and beautiful show stopping gowns for (y/n). Then the gifts become more lavish until the more recent gift of personal penthouse apartments for both of them. 

         This gift they tried to deny, but Mr. Oroku insisted. He took good care of those who took care of him, he told them as if he was some kind of godfather. To be fair he probably was. At least that was David’s theory. (y/n) felt it best not to speculate. Especially since she's witnessed first-hand what asking too many questions while inside the club could do. Too many times to count she took note of disappearing men after they were invited to Mr. Oroku’s private table. The thought made her shiver. 

         So, she decided that questioning wasn’t worth it. Neither was disobedience. That she had tried once. Going against one of the carefully crafted song-lists the club’s owner curated specifically for them. Call it horrid luck, or an arranged punishment, but that night she found herself assaulted in an alleyway by one of the men who often sat with Mr. Oroku. Her mind had nearly blacked out those events, most likely to keep the memory from causing too deep of trauma, but even now she could feel the man’s hands touching her. The events were so awful that she struggled to find comfort in David’s arms after he found her half naked and crying.

         A shiver ran down her spine at the memory. She hated it. She hated that man for doing it. She hated herself for letting it happen. It served its purpose, however. (Y/n) found it impossible to disobey Mr. Oroku and took extra care to send all set lists to him weeks in advance for approval to avoid any similar events from taking place. With a shake of her head and one final look in the mirror the girl nodded to her reflection before turning to her partner. Catching her gaze, David smiled and offered his arm. 

         “Ready partner?” He asked. 

         “Of course,” she responded while forcing a smile.

         It was easy to tell from the glint in David’s eye that he was looking though her smile, but he didn’t push her. Instead, he tugged her a bit closer, so their sides bounced against each other. (y/n) stumbled on her heels thanks to the action earning her friend a playful glare along with a genuine smile. Success.

         "Mr. Oroku is here today to watch the set. Shane told me when we arrived.” David said wearily.

         (Y/n) miss stepped at the information, her smile faltering for only a moment before looking ahead. “Well, I suppose it’s good we chose set ‘A’. It’s his favorite.”

         With one more uneasy glance the pair wandered to the wings and waited patiently for their names to be announced. This part was never any different. Shane, that stage manager, would have a sad attempt at comedy before welcoming any special guests to the club. Once the formalities were over he gestured to the wings with a smile as he proudly welcomed (y/n) and David to the stage. As soon as their names were said Shane made himself scarce, and they proudly walked into the light. David led (Y/n) center stage to her microphone and kissed her hand before turning back to his piano. With a quick thank you and a glance towards the showy table where (Y/n) knew Mr. Oroku preferred to sit when he came to watch, they started their opening number. Vera Lynn, a favorite of the owner.

         We’ll meet again,

         Don’t know where, don’t know when.

         Though he was shrouded in shadow the performer could see the owner’s subtle nod of approval. Safe, her mind translated. The song continued, only ending after a chorus where a large group of drunk guests joined in the singing. Their set continued without a hitch. Each song earned a subtle nod of approval as they went on. Gracefully the singer swayed though Kitty Kallen, Doris Day, and of course an appearance of Old Blue Eyes himself, preparing the audience for the ending songs. As (Y/n) moved her hips to David’s playing, the stage lights reflected off her sequin gown, making her appear more like a shining star than ever before. 

         Mr. Oroku hummed proudly as he watched from the corner. This girl was certainly his most prized possession. A beautiful singer, a beautiful mind. She was the diamond of his collection of associates, whether she knew it or not. He knew that she didn’t know anything about him. Only that he was her boss and he presented her with lavish gifts, and that he was not to be disobeyed. That was a lesson he made sure was taught early on. She learned it quickly and made him proud. Since then, they have had many months go past with no problems, and with each month he was sure to reward them handsomely.

         The man glanced over his shoulder and the chained and gagged mutant behind him, tucked against the wall, out of sight from anyone else in the club, being held in place by two of his best soldiers, dressed in suits rather than their standard uniform. His newest gift to the girl. A bit earlier than expected, he’d admit, but he was still certain of his plan. Her apartment was more secure than any prison. Not to mention in his state, he’d be surprised if the creature even lived longer than a week, there was no way he could escape. 

         Though he knew his singer’s kind heart a little too well, since her partner was more than happy to talk about it to anyone who would listen. This information of course came back to him. He knew that (y/n) would do her best to nurse it back to health. After he’s back to being strong enough to think of escaping, the mutant would most likely be under the same spell as the club’s patrons. A spell cast only by Ms. (y/n) (l/n) and her charm. He wouldn’t be able to leave, and he definitely wouldn’t be able to physically hurt her without damaging his own psyche. 

         That made this creature the most perfect, most precious gift yet. A new pet.

         “I did it. My Way!” (Y/n) sang over the crowd before giving a bow and blowing kisses while everyone applauded the end of her set.

         “What do you think, Turtle,” Mr. Oroku smiled. “Of your new owner.”

Chapter Text

         At the end of the set, (y/n) and David took a bow as the club erupted with applause. It was the standard, yet it still filled (y/n)’s chest with warmth. As she took a second bow she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how her mother felt after a performance. 

         (Y/n) has very few memories of her mother, but everyone she does has involved music. Her mother was a singer. She jumped from bar to bar, club after club, to sing the songs she wrote for anyone willing to listen. It was in one of these bars that she met (y/n)’s father, who at the time was still a college student. They quickly fell in love and got married. It wasn’t until after her father got his doctorate that they decided to have a child together. Little did they know, they would only have six years as a family before tragedy struck. 

         There wasn’t much you could do about drunk drivers. 

         Regardless as to how much pain she was in, (y/n)’s mother sang until her last breath. Holding her daughter's hand as she sang a lullaby before she left the earth. That hospital bed was nothing compared to the stage. Her mother was used to bright lights, loud applause, not fluorescents and tears. Still the woman smiled. Now, (y/n) stood in her mother’s place. Having just entertained a crowd with her voice, she got to hear their cheers. Perhaps ehr mother would be proud, even if she knew her father wouldn't be. 

         (y/n)’s father never wanted (y/n) to pursue music. Maybe it was too painful to see his wife shine though in the talents of his daughter, or maybe it was just because he knew how much his wife struggled prior to her marriage. There was no way to find out now. Afterall, her father hadn’t even lived long enough to see her graduate college. (y/n) was officially an orphan. At this point, she had accepted it. Her father had lost his battle to cancer two years ago and her mother had been gone for fourteen. The five stages of grief came and went. There was no longer time in the day for them. 

         Her thoughts were suddenly broken as a hand landed on the side of her back. Jumping, the girl looked over her shoulder to see David waiting with a smile to lead her out of the lights. Once they were away, the pair shared a quick embrace before going to their separate dressing rooms. The standard ritual. David would most likely hang around the club a bit longer as (y/n) rushed to catch the last train home. Same old same old. So, with a wave, the pair said their goodbyes until tomorrow as their doors shut. 

         Life is becoming a bit boring, (y/n) decided before walking further into the room to change out of her dress. The beautiful piece of red fabric was resting against her hips when the girl was once again startled, this time by her dressing room door suddenly opening. Reacting fast, she grabbed her dress and hugged it to her body in an attempt to keep herself covered. With a glare she turned towards the door only to see Shane standing in the open doorway rolling his eyes.

         “Shane! Knocking!” (y/n)  shouted so loudly that she was certain the patrons had heard her.

         “Keep your panties on,” the man scoffed. “And put back on the dress, the boss wants to see you.”

         The girl titled her head with confusion as she struggled to redress herself without revealing anything to her stage manager’s prying eyes. “Mr. Okoru? Why?”

         “How the hell would I know, just get ready.” Shane huffed as he turned to leave, only pausing for a moment to smirk at the girl. “Nice tits by the way.”

         With that final comment, Shane left, slamming the door in the process. (Y/n) could only scoff, and his commentary further instated something within her.  I hate men, she thought to herself. Everyone who worked for this club was the same. Comment on her body, her clothes, makeup, how much they want to ‘get a piece of that ass’. They honestly disgusted her,  but the pay was good, and if she was being honest, (y/n) was afraid of trying to quit. Not to mention, David loved this job. It was his dream. Who was she to take that away from him? 

         Another huff passed her lips as she finally pulled the zipper back up her back. (Y/n) spared one fleeting glance towards the mirror to check her hair and makeup before leaving her dressing room once again and heading towards the main ballroom. 

         Tsuki no Hana itself was a decently sized establishment hidden between two huge buildings on the outside. The club consisted of a main ballroom, filled with tables, a stage and a small dance floor, as well as a fully stocked bar. Behind the stage was an ‘employees only’ area. There was a large break room as well as four dressing rooms, two of which belonged to (y/n) and David. The other two dressing rooms are left empty for any visiting or weekday act who may need them. There were also storage rooms above and below the facility, but (y/n) was never permitted in those areas. Restricted for private associates of Mr. Okoru, the signs say. 

         Navigating the place was simple, as was finding the final room. Mr. Okoru’s meeting room. It was off the main ballroom, door to the right of the bar. His private table was in the corner near his door, and after every performance he would immediately slip away to his room. It was as if he never wanted anyone to see his face. Not that (y/n) would know what he was hiding. Afterall, even his office chair was shrouded in shadow. It made her curious, but not enough to outweigh her fear. 

         That same fear was bubbling in her stomach as she reached out to knock on the office door. (y/n) wasn’t sure why she was so afraid. Mr. Okoru had never directly scolded her for anything, and even if he did, she hadn’t done anything wrong. At least she didn't think so. Everything was going to be fine. Last time she went into his office she was given a gift certificate to one of the nicest restaurants in the city. Perhaps it was something like that again. Or maybe, he just wanted to congratulate her for tonight's performance. That was probably it, she reassured herself before finally knocking on the door. 

         “Come in,” she heard her boss’ voice echo through the door.

         Swallowing the last of her nerves, (y/n) opened the door and walked into the dimly lit room. As per usual Mr. Okoru was sitting at his desk covered in shadow with Mr. Fa and Mr. Ito. Behind Mr. Ito was an extra-large shadow which caused her to glance at the men confused. Mr. Fa smirked at her when they made eye contact causing her to shiver, he was the one who dealt out her punishment after all, and it seemed as if he still took pride in it. Luckily for her, Mr. Okoru seemed to disapprove of his expression and was quick to scold him.

         “Fa, Respect.” the man snapped before looking towards his singer. “Please Ms. (l/n) sit.”

         (y/n) was quick to obey, but careful to still act like a proper lady as she moved. Gliding her hands across her skirt to sooth it before sitting and crossing her legs at the ankle. She sat up straight and smiled meekly as she voiced her thanks. Then it came, the same subtle nod of approval she gets while singing, Mr. Okoru gave it to her now, and (y/n) couldn’t help but beam slightly at it. 

         “Thank you for coming dear, your performance was wonderful as always.” her boss praised.

         “Thank you Sir,” (y/n) responded. “I’m so glad you were able to come to watch.”

         “My pleasure,” She could hear his grin, but then the man’s voice suddenly turned sinister. “I brought something for you darling.” 

         (y/n)’s eyes widened. “Another gift? But sir, you’ve already done so much for David and I.”

         “Nonsense,” The man quickly shut down her worries and turned towards his associates. “Ito, her gift.”

         Mr. Ito nodded stiffly before reaching behind him and dragging a huge creature out of the shadows. (Y/n)’s eyes widened as she looked at it. Her heart race increased as it was shoved further into the light revealing its full stature. Even while hunched over itself, the creature looked to be at least a foot taller than her with green skin and a shell. The air around it made it seem almost human, but appearance wise, that couldn’t possibly be true.

         For a moment the creature looked up at her, revealing a pair of striking blue eyes. In a moment’s glance it took in her appearance before quickly looking at the ground. Unfortunately, it Mr. Ito it looked as if the animal had checked her out in a way, causing the man to scold it while shoving him to the ground. (y/n) could hardly process the man scolding the creature as she stared. Now, as it lay only inches from her shoes, the singer could see what exactly it was.

         (Y/n) couldn’t help but gasp at the creature who landed by her feet. “That is a big turtle.” She whispered. 

         “He is for you, of course, he isn’t in the best shape. I unfortunately… found him like that.” Mr. Okoru explained. “But such a wonderfully exotic pet, well I thought it should belong to a just as wonderful young woman.”

         “But sir, this is…” She struggled to find the words. Strange, unethical, unnatural. “Too much.” 

         That was the best she could come up with. Internally she scolded herself, that argument would do nothing. Especially since, when the turtle glanced back towards her she got that feeling again, as if this was a human looking at her. He was hurt, he was captured. Perhaps worst of all, he was being treated like an everyday object being passed along as a prized gift. It caused her stomach to knot as she thought harder. She couldn’t accept him. 

         “Now my dear,” Mr. Okoru started as his shadowy figure stood from behind his desk, voice suddenly dropping. “It’s rude to deny a gift.”

         That was her corner, and they both knew it. She was too afraid to be rude. So hesitant as she was, she accepted the present. With a simple thank you she stood and asked for a ride home, seeing as she was almost certain the trains wouldn’t allow a pet this large to join her. Mr. Okoru seemed to understand, and ordered Ito and Fa to drive her home, as well as help her with the turtle.

         With a gentle hand she began to lift the turtle from the floor only for him to finch away. Her heart clenched a bit at the rejection, but she couldn’t blame him. Even stray dogs run away at first. There were a lot of changes, and new faces, (y/n) doubted he was comfortable. His flinching however seemed to upset her boss who grumbled under his breath before ordering his men to help. With far less care, they lifted the creature to his feet and began to drag him towards the back door of Mr. Okoru’s office that leads to the street.

         (Y/n) was quick to follow, sparing only a second to once again thank her boss for the gift and bow respectfully. When she caught up to the men, they had already haphazardly tosses her pet into the back seat of one of Mr. Okoru’s black cars. Nervously she bit her lip. The poor turtle was already hurt, and now they were treating him like a rag doll. Stealing her nerve, (y/n) chose to speak up.

         “Will you two please be kinder to him.” she all but hiss causing the men to turn to her.

         “Yeah, we’ll give him a kiss on the cheek too,” Ito rolled his eyes sarcastically. “I’m sure it’ll make him feel better.” 

         The young huffed at the response she was given, “It’ll certainly help more than treating him like some rag doll.” 

         Fa chuckled this time as he slammed the back door shut. “Come on now, you know we like our dolls, Doll.”

         (Y/n) visibly cringed as she made her way to the other back door. “You have a left-hand Fa, why don’t you use it.” 

         The man chuckled as he leaned into the car, making sure they were nose to nose when she finally turned her head. “Why don’t you give me some motivation.”

         His eyes trailed to look down the low-cut neckline of her dress, causing (Y/n) to instinctively cover herself. While her cheek tinted pink, she still managed to spit in the man’s face. He grounded in discussion as he wiped away her saliva only to shut the door forcefully. The next second he was in the driver’s seat, while Ito sat on the passenger’s side, looking back at her with a serious expression.

         “You're lucky you're a favorite.” he hissed. “Ain't no one allowed to touch you without express permission.”

         She could only roll her eyes and ignore the men in favor of inspecting her new pet. He was really roughed up, leaning against the care door, and looking out the tinted window. He wouldn’t even glance in her direction. Hesitantly, (y/n) reached a handout for him and placed it on his arm. The turtle simply jerked away. He didn’t want any fake kindness from a member of his enemy’s clan. Little did he know, this girl was being sincere, and never once conceited her a part of Okoru’s clan. 

         Still, he didn’t trust her, and all she wanted to do was see what exactly she was working with. From this angle all she could tell was that he looked as if he had been in a fire. His shell was charred, there were burned patches on his skin as well as a plethora of deep cuts, all of which seemed to be in pairs. He had a large bruise on the side of his head, and his eyes seemed red and irritated. 

         She reached out again, before ultimately choosing to place her hands in her lap and she whispered. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

         The turtle didn’t believe her. In fact, he found it hard to believe anything remotely optimistic. How could he? He was a prison of war, being driven away to yet another location where he could be mentored. What he didn’t understand was her. Why was she the one who was going to look after him? Why her apartment. She was nothing more than some performer. Was it to give him a false sense of security?

         This girl didn’t look exceptionally strong. She had no weapons on her either. Why wasn’t he being kept in the same prison as he’s been in for the past week, with the same army of men rotating in and out to watch him. Were they worried he would learn the cycles and make a run for it? He could hardly walk without toppling over, how was he going to fight his way to freedom. The turtle sighed. Speculation was pointless. It didn’t matter where they were going or why this girl was chosen. It just was what it was, and until he was healed there was nothing he could do except be thrown around. Might as well accept his fate. So, with tired eyes, he looked back out the window, counting the building they passed as he tried to ignore the feeling of the girl’s eyes on him. His final thought, at least she didn’t scream. 

Chapter Text

            “Aren’t you two going to help me?” (Y/n) asked as she struggled to carry the weight of her new pet draped across her shoulders.

            They had arrived at her apartment building only a moment ago and so far Mr. Okoru’s goons had done nothing more but comment on (y/n) ass as she bent over to grab her pet out of the car. With smirks they watched her balance out the weight of the large creature on her back, the expression only growing when she glared in their direction.

            In response, Mr. Fa just laughed. “He’s your problem now toots. Call me when he dies, then we can have some real fun.”         

Without a second thought the pair drove away leaving the girl and her turtle standing on the sidewalk outside of her building. Blowing a strand of loose hair out of her eyes (Y/n) glanced at the turtle, catching his eyes for only a second before he looked back at the ground. “Well, I guess we better get you up the stairs so I can start fixing you up.”

            The turtle hesitated at first before nodding. (y/n) couldn’t help the smile from spreading on her cheeks. He actually acknowledged her. Progress! Still, he didn't look at her. Struggling a bit (y/n) took her first step and soon the turtle began to follow as they made it to the automatic door of her building. To both of their relief, a sign was sitting on the front desk informing patrons that whoever was on duty was currently on break. The last thing he needed was some poor young girl panicking at the sign of a giant turtle. 

            If she was being honest, (y/n) was planning her own mental breakdown to take place later in the shower, to not hurt her pet’s feelings. She doubted it was his fault he was so giant; besides, he was already having a bad time if his appearance said anything. So instead, she pushed her shock and panic at the side long enough to all but drag the turtle to her elevator and press the button for the top floor. 

            As expected, the ride was silent. The girl didn’t bother speaking to her pet again. Not yet. He wasn’t going to respond to her. She did look at him though, as thoughts rushed through her mind. Was the only weird thing about this turtle his size? Or was there more to it. He seems to have no trouble walking on two legs rather than four, so that was a secondary difference to the travel sized version, and he understands her words at the very least, if his nods were any indication. 

            Her thoughts were interrupted by the dinging of the elevator, and the siding of the doors. Her floor was huge, though the hallway wouldn’t help you believe it. After all, it was short and skinny with only two doors, a trash shoot, and an elevator. Even her mailbox was on the bottom floor. Carefully she led the turtle to the door on the right and carefully inputted her door code. The hand chirped happily at her combination before the click of a lock could be heard. 

            “Okay, um…” (Y/n) started as she carefully led her new pet into her apartment. “Well, this is your new home. So, um…Welcome?”

            She glanced unsurely at the turtle who was still refusing to look anywhere but the floor. At this point it was really starting to sting. The last thing (Y/n) wanted was for her new pet to hate her. Not that she was entirely sure he was actually meant to be a pet. Wait, was he a he? Mr. Oroku seemed pretty sure that the turtle was in fact male, but maybe she should check. (y/n) glanced at the creature towering over her and quickly shook her head.

            Yeah, I'm not checking. She thought to herself before slowly leading him further in, only to drop him off at the sofa. Silently she watched as the turtle sat for only half a second before flopping lazily on his side. Eyes now locked on the turned off television in front of him with a blank stare. 

            “Would you, um…” she started as she approached him. “Would you like to watch something?”

            That earned her a noncommittal shrug. With a sigh (y/n) picked up the remote and turned her television on. She was watching a classic’s cartoon channel before work today and it was still on. From the looks of it they were playing old space heroes movies tonight. A soft smile peaked on her cheeks. She loved these movies. Her father showed her every single one while growing up, the on top of the show provided hours of entertainment. 

            Glancing over her shoulder she saw that the turtle's eyes had widened, and he had begun to push himself up a bit. Her smile grew. Carefully she approached and held the remote out to him. The turtle glanced at her hand momentarily before looking back at the television. He seemed to have no interest in changing it, so she simply chose to set the remote down.

            “You're welcome to change it if you’d like, but I will say this movie is pretty damn good. My second favorite from the saga. Nothing can beat the fourth one though. That final battle.” She kissed her fingers proudly. 

            Her turtle glanced at her with a curious expression before turning back to the show. All she could do was shrug at least it was better than him glaring or ignoring her. After a moment’s thought she took a seat on the arm of her couch, as far away from the turtle she could. The last thing she wanted was to cause more discomfort. In comfortable silence the pair watched the movie for a few minutes, until (y/n) decided she needed to start taking care of things for the night. That was, of course, until she heard a loud rumbling that she could only assume was from her pet’s stomach. He must be hungry, she thought

            “My name is (y/n) by the way,” She suddenly said, but her turtle didn’t look away from the screen. Back to being ignored, she thought to herself. “Alrighty, I’m gonna go change for bed, then we’ll find you some food.” 

            Once again she got no response, so the girl chose to take her leave, heading towards the master bedroom to finally get out of her show dress and into something comfortable. She no longer felt comfortable taking a shower tonight, she didn’t want to leave the turtle alone that long. Hopefully, her presence will eventually give him comfort. 

            (Y/n) sighed. She had no idea what she was doing. The pet turtles her father had growing up were small and just chill. Fondly she thought about turbo, the turtle they had for most of her life, would ride on top of anything that moved. Whether it was their dog Mandy, her father's shoulder, her head, RC cars he would find his perch and wait expectantly for this chosen steed to move. Still, he was a little turtle, who they got as a baby. He never knew a different home. This one, no doubt, has somewhere he lived first.

            Should I approach him like a rescue puppy? She wondered. Or a foster kid?

            (Y/n) shook her head. Overthinking would do no good. It was probably best to let things develop naturally and try her damndest to nurse him back to health. Good of a plan as any, she decided as she finally managed to tug the zipper of her dress down once again, letting the decorative fabric fall to the ground as she dug through her drawers for a comfortable set of pajamas to put on. 

            Changing quickly, she made a stop at the bathroom to scrub her face clean of makeup, as well as brush through her hair. Glancing in the mirror she couldn’t help but smile. She was herself again, and not the borderline pinup she becomes for work. It was comforting. Her thoughts, however, did give her an idea. If she gained such comfort from being able to recognize herself for who she actually is, who's to say her turtle won’t be comforted by it. 

            If she could find out little things about him, things that help make him who he is, maybe he’ll start feeling more comfortable. With a smile she rushed back to their room and started scanning her bookshelves. She had owned a lot of books on her own and had inherited her father’s fast collection as well. Between the two of them there had to be something useful, especially since her father was a Herpetologist. After a few minutes, she finally found a reptile encyclopedia. Figuring out his specific breed of turtle would be a good start to learning more about him.

            Coming back into the living room, she glanced at her pet. He was now sitting up fully intensely watching the movie she and put on. He looked almost like a little kid watching his favorite show. It was admittedly quite cute. Taking  a chance, she chose to approach him, and carefully sat on the other end of the couch with her legs folded under her. When the cushion sank her turtle glanced over at her, earning himself a smile. He didn’t return it, instead he simply went back to watching his show.

            (y/n) hummed to herself and opened up the old book and began flipping through the turtle section. Everyone once and a while she would look over to her pet and try to pick out some of his details. That's when she noticed them. Behind his eyes were a section of discolored scales. Rather than green like the rest of his skin, the patches were a rusted red color. Flipping through her book she landed on a breed that matched.

            “Are you a red eared slider?” she suddenly asked her pet, causing his attention to turn to her, expression filled with surprise. 

            He took a moment to simply stare. He was surprised that she had asked, that she had even cared what breed of turtle he was. Curious, he moved his gaze to her book and tried to read the spine. Reptile encyclopedia? She was researching. His eyes moved to meet hers once more as he finally nodded. The girl was right after all. Her face lit up at the response.

            “Ok awesome!” she beamed. “Do you eat like any other red eared slider or is your diet different?”

            He shrugged and waved his hand in the air in a so-so kind of way.

            “So kinda?” He nodded again. “Well, I suppose that’ll work for now. I think I have some salad, so I can make you that for dinner. Tomorrow I'll have you help me make a shopping list so I can get some food that you will like.”

            His eyes became wide again when the girl suddenly stood from the couch, leaving her book behind as she wandered into the kitchen. Was she seriously getting him food? Real food? Curious, the turtle leaned back on the couch to look after her. Silently he watched as she dug through her fridge, standing every few seconds to place a different vegetable on the counter. The girl then began to tear apart a head of lettuce and slice up the veggies, before tossing it all together in a bowl. 

            Silently she dished out a single serving and put the rest in the fridge, shutting it with her foot, before opening a drawer. It was then that the turtle quickly righted himself on the couch to pretend that he hadn’t just watched her prepare his meal. 

            “Here you go, one salad for the turtle.” She beamed as she handed him the bowl followed by a fork and finally a napkin.

            The girl then sat back down beside him and opened up her encyclopedia once again. The turtle couldn’t stop staring. She didn’t tease, she didn’t try to take it away. She legitimately made him a salad. To eat. As if feeling his eyes, the girl looked up at him, confused. Her eyes looked from him to the bowl then back.

            “Is there something wrong? Do you not like it?” (y/n)  asked and the turtle panicked. As quickly as possible and shoved a dork full of salad into his mouth. He didn’t want it to get taken away for any reason. This was his first real food since his capture. As he ate, (y/n)’s smile came back. “Woah, you were hungry. If you want more, just let me know. There is plenty in the fridge.”

            He nodded in response before turning back to the television to finish his meal. Together they sat in a comfortable silence. She didn’t want to bother him, especially not while he was eating and the turtle…Well, he was still feeling her out. Was she good or bad? A trap or just somehow mixed up in all this. He wasn’t sure, not yet at least, but so far, all signs have been pointing to good. Or at the very least, not evil. Not evil was still a step up from whom he had been dealing with lately. It was also just enough reassurance that when he finished his meal, he felt comfortable enough to reach out and place a hand on her ankle, just long enough to peak her attention. 

            Looking up front her book (y/n) looked at her pet for a moment before noticing his empty bowl. With a smile she shut her book again and stood. Silently she cleared his bowl, setting it in the kitchen sink, before carelessly wandering back into the living room. 

            “Ok Turtle, now that you’ve eaten. Let's do a quick tour, then a checkup and then bed.” She listened with her fingers before looking back at him. “Does that sound ok?”

            He nodded to her, before standing on shaky legs. She reached out to help but he held a hand to stop her. He wanted to be able to do this much alone, but (Y/n) didn’t look so sure. Even so, she hesitantly took a step back and waited for the turtle to follow. 

While her apartment was huge, the tour didn’t take too terribly long, mainly because (y/n) chose to simply summarize the upper level rather than having them climb the stairs. This was in part, for her, since she was too lazy to make the trek, but mainly for her turtle. If he was struggling to walk, it was unlikely he would make it up the stairs. 

So, while counting on her fingers she mentioned the upstairs bathroom, second guest room, and gym that were on the second floor before focusing on the base level. First she pointed out the obvious, a large living room and entryway. Across the room was a large kitchen with an island, and through an archway was a small dining room. Down the only hallway was a bathroom, next to a pair of French doors that opened to an office, which was currently set up as a practice room for her and David. Finally, she pointed to either end of the hall and explained that there was a guest room on the right, and her bed room on the left. 

(Y/n) then walked towards her room and opened the door for her pet to look in, explaining that he’s welcome to go anywhere in the house he’d like. She didn’t mind, and honestly, had nothing to hide from him. When she finished talking, (y/n) looked to her pet for any sort of response only to see him staring into her room. 

            Following his gaze, she tracked the longing look in his eyes to her bed. “You can have it.” she decided. “It’ll be best while you're still recovering. I have the guest room down the hall that I can use, but this one has a nicer mattress.”

            The turtle hesitated for a moment before limping further into the room. He approached the bed, and placed a hand on the plush surface, caressing the printed flower’s as if the petals were real. It had been weeks since he's had the option of sleeping in a real bed. Even longer since the idea of sleeping peacefully even crossed his mind. There was simply too much going on, and then his capture. 

Well, it all made this bed seem heaven sent. 

With a glance over his shoulder, the turtle saw his new owner leaning against the door frame with a lazy smile. Her expression reminded him of the one his friend April made whenever she saw something she found cute. It was odd to see it on the face of the person keeping him captive. Was she trying to deceive him? Give him a false sense of security? He had no idea, but at this point, he wasn’t sure how much he cared. Thus far, she’s been nothing but kind to him. He was hungry, she gave him food. He was tired, she had given him a bed. If anything, it seemed as if she was simply staying true to her words from the car. She was going to take care of him. 

And honestly… he was thankful.

            “Goodnight turtle, we’ll move your check up to the morning.” At her words her pet spared her one last glance before falling face first onto the bed.

            (Y/n) giggled at the sight before carefully shutting the door and stretching her arms above her head. Dramatic or not, he had the right idea. It was getting late, and sleep sounded immaculate. So, while yawing the girl made her way across the apartment, switching off lights as she went, until she made it to the guest room. The room itself was quite bland, but it still had a full-sized bed and a dresser. It will work for the time being. Eventually, when he’s feeling better, she’ll help her pet customize it. Then this would be his own room, his own space, and she could take back hers. But for now, he could have a nice huge bed, and a comfortably cluttered room, and she’ll settle here. Curling under the cream-colored duvet she fell asleep to thoughts about how to take care of such a large pet turtle. 

            Meanwhile, in the other room, the turtle himself was finally pushing his body up off the bed. While he worked to lay properly under the floral covers he took his time to examine the room. This girl didn't seem dangerous. She just seemed like your normal twenty-year-old. Her walls were painted a light tan with an accent wall decorated with a mural of a cherry blossom tree. She had a large mirror over top of a vanity, and a polka dotted rug on the center of the floor. 

            She had two closets, both closed, and a large wardrobe all on the same wall, opposite to some of the largest windows he had ever seen. Floor to ceiling covered by creme curtains. Looking above the bed, he saw the most interesting piece of information about his new ‘owner’. Hanging on her wall was a black Jiu Jitsu belt above three framed degrees. The first degree was simply a high school diploma. The one on the far right was for physics, and the center on was microbiology. His eyes widened at this information.

            This girl was highly ranked in martial arts AND extremely intelligent. Maybe she was dangerous. No, that didn’t sit right with him. She couldn’t be dangerous. That girl was too kind. He could tell from her eyes alone. At first she was treating him like a scared dog, but now, it legitimately seemed like she just wanted to take the best care of him as she could. It was almost…comforting. 

            He chose to cling to that comfort as he tucked himself under her covers and breathed in the lingering scent of the girl’s perfume from her pillows. Whether he liked the situation or not, he knew one thing for sure. He was safe here. Here with her. With that final thought he allowed himself to sleep peacefully for the first time in the past week. 

Chapter Text

            When morning came, the turtle was surprised to see that the sun had caused him to wake. Still, it beamed into the room from a small parting in the curtains draping across his eyes. The light caused him to squint at first, before he sat up far too quickly. His head began to pound but he was in too far of shock to care. He hadn’t seen the sun in at least a week, his last prison being underground. Moving quickly, the turtle pushed away the bed’s floral covers and limped over to the window to draw back the shade. They were so high up that all he could see were the tops of buildings. It was beautiful, even if he had missed the sunrise, but not even the marvelous view could help him forget why he was here.

            He was still a prisoner, just with the new label of ‘pet’.

            He shivered at the word. It felt almost worse than being a prisoner.  Mainly because it made him compare himself to his little brother’s pet. While ironic his brother had a pet turtle named Spike, and his brother depended on Spike to remain level. If that normal turtle wasn’t in their lives he had no doubts that his brother would be blowing up even more than usual. This of course made the turtle worry that this girl, (y/n), would start to rely on him the same way his brother relayed on his pet. 

            Last night as he fell asleep he had decided that, until proven otherwise, he would assume that (y/n) was good. Just a girl who happen to work for his father’s nemesis. No more no less. Which means there is no reason for him to hurt her in any way. That includes the potential emotional damage of losing a pet. 

            He banged his head against the window. He couldn’t even follow his own circle of thoughts. Something the turtle did know was that he was hungry again. So, standing up, he left the bedroom in favor of going to the kitchen for some of the extra salad from yesterday. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but good food was good food. Besides, (Y/n) said that they would be making a store list today, so hopefully he could get some things that he really likes. 

            Winding down the hall, he made his way into the kitchen and grabbed the large bowl of salad out of the fridge. With a glance he could tell that (y/n) was needing to go to the store. There wasn't much left. Just the salad, a to-go box of mystery food, some sodas and a few water bottles were left in her fridge. Shrugging he reached back in and grabbed one of the sodas, hoping she wouldn’t mind before setting it on the counter next to the salad bowl. 

            Next came the quest for a bowl. One by one, he opened and shut all of the cabinets looking for a salad bowl. In the end, it took five guesses to get past the dry foods and cups and finally find a bowl. Then he switched to opening drawers. This took far fewer tires, for in the first drawer he found tongs and the second a fork. With everything he needed now acquired he dished him out some salad breakfast before choosing to sit at the island to eat it, along with his soda.

            “Oh!” he suddenly heard, causing him to jump.

            Standing in the archway of the kitchen was the girl. She was in a pair of athletic shorts and a sports bra, currently wiping sweat away from her forehead. In her hand was her cellphone, which was displaying a call screen. For a second she just stared before smiling.

            Her smile only faltered when a distance ‘hello? (Y/n), are you ok?’ echoed from her phone call.

            “Yeah, yeah,” she said into the phone then looked at her pet. “Good morning Turtle, I didn’t realize you got up.”

            The girl then moved into the kitchen herself, going to the fridge to grab a water bottle as she went back to her phone conversation. “Sorry Karai, my turtle had just woken up and I didn’t hear him.”

            The Turtle’s eyes widened. Karai. He knew that name all too well. She was the enemy. The one who kept him captive prior to ending up here. They seemed like friends.

            Maybe I’m wrong, the turtle thought, maybe she really is a part of the Foot. But then again she seemed so innocent and kind. Even when he first met Karai herself there was a certain air about her. Something devious in a way. (y/n) didn’t have that energy. She instead had the energy of a mother duck. Protective, caring, but still could bite back at you if she wanted.

            Even so, that friendship, on top of who her boss was, made him worry. Two connections with the Okoru family is two more than the average person, and most people who are connected with that pair aren't good. He looked back at his owner, her face contorting as she leaned one hand on the counter. What was Karai saying to her? He wondered.

            His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by (Y/n)’s phone call once again.  “Ha! Yeah right. A ninja Turtle. Are you hearing yourself?...Well I guess he’s pretty muscular…”

            Next came silence as (Y/n) face hardened. Karai was talking for a while, and the girl's expression simply began to alternate between confusion, disgust, and anger. Without warning she rushed over to the turtle's side and began examining his injuries.  Now with her closer, he could hear Karai’s voice coming through the speaker, and to the turtle’s surprise she seemed nervous.

            'I swear to you, I'm not kidding. That pet of yours is actually a ninja turtle. Father and I caught him and his brothers a few weeks ago.’ Karai explains.

            “A few weeks ago….” (Y/n) muttered before standing straight. “Karai, did you hurt him?”

            Her voice was deathly serious, so much so that it caused a shiver to crawl up her turtle’s spine. This owner looked beyond angry as she listened to the girl on the other end of the phone fumble with an explanation. Karai’s uncertainty was almost more shocking than the girl’s anger. The turtle had never even imagined Karai lacking confidence, and yet there she was on the phone panicking because of the accusation of some girl. A girl who most definitely had more power over the Okoru family than she knew. 

            "It wasn’t my fault!” she finally settled on and the turtle couldn’t help but scoff. 

            This caught (y/n)’s attention, making her glare harden. “I’m not convinced, Karai.” 

           “It wasn’t. I was just supposed to keep him out of the way!” the other woman insisted. “I have no idea where that fire came from. I wouldn’t be surprised if his brothers set it to try and cause a diversion.”

            (Y/n) groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You know what. You can attempt to explain yourself later, but if a fire is actually what this poor guy went through then I have to start working to heal him up. I’ll talk to you later.”

            "Wait (Y/n)!” Karai shouted just in time to stop (y/n) from ending the call. “I know it probably makes no difference, but I'm sorry. There is more to this than you know and my father…”

            “Listen Karai,” (y/n) cut her off. “While it wouldn't surprise me if your father is why you did whatever it is you did to this turtle, that doesn't strip you of blame. You have the ability to say no. Now I really have to go. Bye.”

            She didn’t wait this time when it came to ending the call and slamming her phone against the countertop. With wide eyes her turtle instantly went back to eating his salad, trying to to stare as the girl beside him angrily pulled at her hair. Eventually she leaned against the counter herself, head thrown back and arms crossed as she muttered clearly irritated. 

            “Not only am I given a giant ass turtle, but he’s also apparently a fucking ninja.” She groaned then looked up at her pet. “Any other surprises I should know about?” 

            The turtle thought for a moment before shaking his head no. That was the major information, and Karai did mention his brothers. She was reasonably caught up to speed. Taking his nod in response, (Y/n) moved back into the kitchen and opened a drawer. A few moments later she was sitting beside him at the island, with a notebook and a pen. While grumbling, she began writing various items on the list. He couldn’t hear many of her words, but what he did  pick up on were a lot of questions. Mainly consisting of why me, what's up with this turtle, and what did Karai do. Her irritation was obvious. 

            When she had finished her list, (Y/n) pushed the paper and pen in front of her turtle. “Here you go, add anything you’d like. I’m assuming if you're somehow a ninja, you can write right?”

            Once again, the response was a nod before the turtle set down his fork in favor of the pen. He quickly scanned the list and added the few other items he would want, the main one being pizza. It was his favorite after all. As he wrote, his owner began to rant again, but he was too distracted by the list to keep up. After all, there were things he wasn’t expecting to see, that he could only assume were for him. A toothbrush, some bath supplies, even a few medical items were listed. That concreted it in his mind. (Y/n) really was just trying to help him and make him as comfortable as possible in her home. 

            “You would tell me right?” The girl suddenly asked, catching the turtle’s attention. “If Karai was actually a bad person? I mean, she’s been kinda sketchy before but never bad per say. She is basically my best friend. So, you would tell me if she was a bad guy, or if she was the one who did this to you, right?” 

            To her surprise, (y/n)’s turtle didn’t respond with his usual nod. Instead, pity coated his features as he opened his mouth. Not a word came out, instead it was a weak and scratchy squeak. That was all it took for her anger at her friend to wash away as the realization hit her. 

            “Are you usually able to talk?” She asked him, earning herself a nod. Her eyes softened at the new information. “I see… Well, if you were in a fire like Karai said, then the most inhalation could have hurt your throat. Let's finish up this list fast, then I’ll see what I can do to help.”

            His usual nod was once again the response as he finished up his additions to the list before sliding the notebook back towards (y/n), She read over it for a moment with a slight smile before tearing out the page and setting it to the side. As she moved to put away her notebook (Y/n) explained that ever since he provided the apartment Mr. Okoru has insisted that his associates go to the store for her. Admittedly the girl missed the mundanity of grocery shopping, but she didn’t want to argue with her boss. 

            When she explained her final worry, the turtle could see her turn in on herself. “I understand why Karai struggles to tell him no.” She admitted before looking back at her pet guilt seeping into her every word. “But she’s his daughter, if anyone could get away withstanding up to him it would be her right?”

            The turtle couldn’t have responded if he wanted to, and man did he want to. He didn't know why, but he had a desire to wipe away her worry and guilt. To push her back into the realm of subtle smiles. But he couldn’t. He didn’t have the words, nor the ability to use them. So instead, he was stuck watching her scratch at her arm until she retreated into her bedroom. 

            When she was finally alone (y/n) tearing out her ponytail. How could she have been so insensitive? Karai has struggled with her father for as long as she’s known them, and (y/n) was the only person she felt safe to vent to. Now she had bitten at her for not doing something that was nearly impossible. The standard that Karai is held at is sky high. Her end goal is unattainable, but the fall that comes with failure is too far to survive. 

            All she could do was sigh. They would see each other on Friday, hopefully by the time that gets here she’ll have an apology worked out. Until then, she needed to charge. Stripping of ehr work out clothes (y/n) coated herself in deodorant and perfume before changing into a new pair of shorts and an oversized pull over. 

            There wasn’t time to worry about this right now. Regardless as to if Karai had a choice in the matter, she had been someway involved in trapping her now pet turtle in a fire. The result of which was now up to her to mend. So, without wasting any more time, (y/n) moved into the master bathroom and dug under the sink for her medical box. 

            “Turtle!” she called out as she left the bedroom to rejoin her pet, who had looked up at her voice. “Would you hold this for me please, as I grab a chair from the dining room for you, I want to start by disinfecting those cuts.”

            When he was summoned, her pet came to her and carefully took the box from her hands. She gave him a smile in thanks, but he could tell she was still feeling guilty. Her eyes gave away it all. Still, all he could do as an attempt to improve her mood was to obey, so he did as (y/n) wandered into the dining room and returned a few moments later with a chair in hand. 

            After she placed the chair down, the girl instructed her pet to sit, which he did, while holding the box protectively in his lap. Carefully she opened it and dug around for a moment before she found the disinfectant she was looking for.

            “Now, this may sting a little bit, but we’ve got to get these cuts clean,” she explained, and the turtle nodded. 

            Dowsing a piece of cotton with the medication, (y/n) went to apply it only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. With a grumble she handed her materials to her pet before walking towards the store, only stopping for a second to pick up the grocery list. Kenneth, the man who did her shopping, was usually punctual to a fault. It was odd for him to even be early. Even so, she wasn’t expecting anyone else. 

            By the time she was approaching the door, the knocking had returned more urgently. “Okay, okay, I've got my list…Ito! Where’s Kenneth?”

            Ito chuckled at her surprise, “What not excited to see me, Songbird?”

            “Not expecting, is more like it.” She responded. “You're here for my grocery list?”

            “Seems that way,” The man responded. “Little Kenny got sick, so I volunteered to get your shopping done. Isn’t that kind of me?”

            (y/n) rolled her eyes, “Yes, so kind.” The sarcasm was dripping from her tone, and it was impossible for Ito not to notice. 

            “I think I’ve earned some payment for my troubles,” the man leered. 

            “What do you have in mind?” She asked while rolling her eyes. 

            (Y/n) knew she didn’t want to know what filth was about to come from the man. Her irritation turned to panic however, as he reached for her face. Ito’s hand rested on her cheek as he ran his thumb across her bottom lip. What did I do wrong, her mind rushed. Before she could come up with an answer Ito added pressure, dragging her lip as he spoke.

            “Well, that mouth of yours must be good for something other than simply talking back. Why don’t we find out.” 

            A prompt, this was his own choice. Rolling her eyes, the girl stepped back while using the back of her hand to wipe away any feeling of contact that remained. 

            “Yeah, it’s also really good for telling you to get the hell out.” (y/n) bit into her words earning herself a hard glare.

            Leaning nose to nose with the girl, the man smirked, “How fortunate for you that…” 

            “Mr. Okoru likes me. I get it.” She groans. “You’ve really gotta come up with some new lines, Ito. You're getting repetitive.” 

            The man’s face twisted with disgust, and he finally stole the list from (y/n)’s hand. “Someone will be back with your groceries tonight.”

            “Wonderful,” she groaned before slamming the door and leaning against it. Simply realized that it was over, would have forgotten about her prior task, if it wasn’t for the scraping of her turtle's chair against the ground. Looking up, she saw him standing, his hands out in preparation to approach.  “Oh! Turtle. Please, don’t move, not until I’ve treated you.” 

            He tilted his head slightly before looking over her shoulder at the door. He was trying to indicate to her his question. A simple one truly, what was that about? He wanted to ask, but simply couldn’t. Luckily, the girl followed his flickering eyes and understood. 

            With a sigh she walked up to her pet, placing a gentle hand against his arm as she led him back to the chair. The turtle sat back in his chair, eyes never leaving her as he waited for some kind of answer.

            “Right, that.” she muttered while reaching back for her cloth and beginning to clean his wounds. “It's simple really. Men like that are monsters.” she grumbled. 

            “They just think they can say and do anything they want, and women will just melt at their feet. And when you refuse them they just take and take and…” she cut herself off with an angry groan as she tossed the cloth to the floor in order to move on to wrapping the injuries. “They are just disgusting, and Mr. Richard Ito is a prime example of that filth that I unfortunately will never be able to get away from because he is second only to Fa. Mr. Okoru right hand man.”

            The girl stepped back for a moment with a sigh. Unsure what else to do, her turtle chose to reach out. With an unsure hand, he lightly slid his fingers across her forearm. Instantly, (y/n)’s eyes were on him. She gave a sad smile before returning the touch on the back of his hand.

            “You are more of a gentleman than the people I work with, and I've only known you for half a day. You’ve already out ranked them!” (Y/n) complained as she went back to dressing his final cut on his upper arm.

            The turtle couldn't help but smile at her words. He was admittedly a sucker for compliments, and there was an added sense of pride. After all, from the few interactions he's witnessed between her and other people, he could tell that his owner wasn’t exactly the most comfortable, but she was already comfortable with him. It was a nice warm feeling. The feeling that comes with making a new friend, even if he still was a little weary of her. It made him smile.

            “Aw, that was adorable.” The girl suddenly cooed, causing the smile to drop from his face as he looked back at her. “Sorry, your eyes just lit up when I said you were a gentleman.” 

            She smiled to herself. Her turtle had a strange handsomeness, she’ll admit. With sharp features and a muscular build (y/n) had little doubt that he kicked ass while acting as a ninja. That is of course, if Karai wasn’t making that all up. Then again, he didn't seem surprised when she mentioned the concept to him. A Turtle full of surprises is truly what he was. It made her wonder what else he was hiding, because while expressive, his eyes seemed to hide so much in their multi shades of blue. Deep as the Atlantic, (y/n) thought to herself while meeting his gaze once again. 

            “They really look like the ocean.” She mumbled, looking deeper into his eyes than before. While beautiful, it was obvious his eyes were in pain, a fact that caused her to sit back slightly and dig through her medicine box once again. “We better start getting rid of their irritation.”

            Quickly, she put away the disinfectant and instead pulled out a bottle of eyedrops. Looking over the package (y/n) checked for the expiration date, only to sign in relief, they weren’t expired yet. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had used them, and admittedly thought she was about to have to look up back up plans. The next step she needed to do was google the ingredients. The eye drops were pretty basic, just water for the most part, but she just wanted it made sure. Luckily fate smiled upon her again as the internet assured her that these drops would in fact help the problem and not just make it worse. 

            “These should do the trick.” She told her pet, before placing the drops in his hand and picking up the rest of the box. “I’m gonna put this away, and then I’ll be back to help with those drops.”

            Her turtle, as perusal, nodded before looking at the drops in his hand. He couldn't stop the smile. It was the same brand his little brother had in their medical cabinet. How ironic. He continued to read the bottle to himself until the voice of his owner echoed down the hall.

            “You know, I feel bad calling you Turtle all the time.” (y/n) mused as she returned to the room. “Do you mind if I give you a temporary name? You know, just until your throat feels better, and you can tell me what your real name is.”

            Her eyes glanced towards her pet who gave a non-committal shrug while continuing to rub his eyes. Huffing slightly, the girl swatted his hands away before tipping his head back and ordering her turtle to keep his eyes open. Of course, he rolled them first, but eventually he obeyed as he thought about her request. She then reached for his hand, and took back the eyedrops, unscrewing the cap to prepare them for use. 

            If he was being entirely honest, he didn't mind being called Turtle. It was direct and void of any emotional attachment. Then again, the fact that she’s even concerned about being rude to him confirmed his suspicions. (Y/n) was not your typical member of the foot clan. She wasn’t driven by hate and anger, bowing to the shredder’s every will. She was a kind young woman who wanted her to be comfortable

            Drip.

            His thoughts suddenly scattered as a drop of solution landed in his right eye, causing the turtle to jolt as he tried to lift his head away. The girl tsked her tongue before putting him back into position reminding him that he has two eyes. He chose to glare slightly this time, but he had to admit his right eye was already feeling better. So, he sat still as he awaited the next drop.

            Drip.

            “There we go,” The girl hummed. “Now we’re going to have to give you more every hour. That should help the irritation in your eyes. Please don’t let me forget, Francoeur.”

            The turtle turned to her fully, a look of confusion on his face. He had never heard a name like that before, and it was farther than anything he could have imagined her picking. His reaction caused the girl to giggle as she set the eye drops on the counter. Without warning she grabbed her pet’s hand and pulled him to his feet. Shouting towards her smart speaker she asked for a song to play.

            After a moment the sound of a guitar floated through her apartment. Gently she grabbed his other hand and began to dance along with the music while singing. 

           “She's resplendent, so confident. La Seine, La Seine, La Seine.” She sang while dancing.

            Her turtle stood confused but allowed his arms to be lax enough to move with her. Eventually as she sang, an extra voice joined from the speaker. It was a duet. Twirling her under his arm, the turtle tried to understand. How was this an explanation to the French name she had chosen.

            Twirling once again she finished her song with a smile. “That's how we are, the Seine and I.”

            The girl waited a moment longer hoping that something would click for her pet, but nothing did. Rather than letting this upset her, she simply wrinkled her nose with a grin before tightening her grip on his hand.

            “Seeing as you are still confused, we have a movie to watch, Francoeur.” She beamed while dragging him with her to the couch where he waited as she dug through her stacks of DVDs until she found her prize and held it up. “The Monster in Paris, this should explain it.”

Chapter Text

            As the ending song played, (y/n) looked over at her turtle, happy to see a subtle smile on his face. Throughout the movie he had various reactions, and even tried to laugh a few times, but that of course, just reminded him how sore his throat was. Even so, he seemed to enjoy it, so as the credits popped onto the screen, (y/n) set up and crossed her legs under her body to face her pet.

         “So, what did you think?” the girl asked, and her turtle turned his smile to her. She took that to mean he liked it. “Good. I hope that explains the names a bit. You just seem a lot like Francoeur to me. You, admittedly, look a bit scary, but you're actually really sweet and just…ya know…something special.” 

         Her pet’s smiles only grew as he placed a hand on her knee, giving it a squeeze, hoping that it would express his thanks. At first it did make (y/n) smile. She liked that he was becoming comfortable, but then that smile faded. There was too much on her mind to be happy. After all, the movie gave her time to think and through thinking she realized a few things about their situation. Namely, that to Francoeur, this was simply another prison cell, not a new home for him to enjoy.

         So, very slowly, the girl placed her hand on top of her turtle’s green one. “I know this probably isn’t where you want to be.” she started, her tone low and a bit hesitant. “After all, Karai mentioned you had brothers, and I’m sure they are out there worried about you. I understand that you would rather be with them right now, but, well, since you're kinda stuck here, we might as well make the most of our time right.”

         (y/n) then looked up at him with hopeful eyes, a certain desperation bled into her words as well. “We can get to know each other or play games. We could become friends if you want.” Her voice trailed off for a moment, and her grip on his hand tightened. “What do you think, Francoeur? Could we be friends?” 

           It took a moment as the turtle thought over her words. There was understanding that he didn’t expect. She didn’t shy away from the fact that he wasn’t where he wanted to be, that he probably had a worried family somewhere. She acknowledged it. (Y/n) wasn’t trying to disguise this situation as something it wasn’t she simply wanted to make it as pleasant as possible. 

           First with the name. Something that she could use just to show him some form of respect. Now her acknowledgement as well. Then there was her last request. The olive branch of it all. The offer of friendship, that she left available for him to decline. It was his choice. He looked at her patiently, waiting for something other than what she expressed to leak through. Some sort of proof of deception, but it never came, and he was pretty certain it never would.

           So, as he squeezed her knee once again. 

           Francoeur, nodded.

         For the next two days, (y/n) was home all day. Something both household members were happy about. It gave them time to get used to each other and the workings of the apartment. Together they cooked, cleaned, and simply tried to relax. Every hour (y/n) could give Francoeur his eye drops and change his bandages and had even started him on a regimen of two cups of honey tea with each meal to help the pain in his throat. He continued to sleep in her room, while (y/n) occupied the guest rooms, only venturing into his personal space to grab clothes or books that she needed. 

           Wednesday was the first day that Francoeur was left alone. As she went out the door, (y/n) explained that he was welcome to eat anything he wanted, and that she would be home late. Earlier in the week she gave him her schedule. Rehearsals with David on Wednesday, alternating houses, then performances on Friday and Saturday. In total, Francoeur had about twenty hours a week without his owner present. 

           One her schedule were also various chores and tasks as well as pick-ups. (y/n) had explained to him how Mr. Okoru insisted that things be done for her, she even confided in her pet her anxieties from it. ‘It feels as if he always wants to have eyes on me.’ the girl had admitted before pointing at a camera in the living room. ‘There is one in everyone except the master bedroom and the bathrooms.’ After that delightful piece of information was revealed Francoeur made sure he knew where every single camera was located, and even did a thorough sweep for bugs. It was a cold comfort when he found none. The foot could see everything that goes on within the apartment, but they couldn’t hear it.  

           It didn’t make much of a difference. 24/7 surveillance meant walking out the front door while (y/n) was gone pointless. No doubt the foot knew her schedule and would be watching him closely during his alone time. The windows in the master bedroom didn’t over either, so that escape plan was ruined before it was fully formed. It didn’t take long for the turtle to realize that this cushy apartment was his most secure prison yet.

           When he finally accepted his fate on Wednesday night, Francoeur made himself a bowl of popcorn and spent an hour searching through (y/n)’s DVD collections as well as fighting with her entertainment system. Once it was sorted he sat down on her admittedly comfortable brown couch and pulled a rose covered blanket over his lap. (y/n) owned plenty of sci fi movies, so, on his night alone, Francoeur decided that he would binge watch them, starting with Star Wars Episode I. After all, that series seemed to be one of the longest she owned and should hold him over for a while. 

           Meanwhile, across the hall, at David’s apartment, (y/n) and her pianist were taking a break. Mr. Okoru had sent them a brand new setlist to learn before Friday without warning. The set list ended with ‘Maybe’ from Annie as well as an announcement that (y/n) had to memorize, letting the patrons know that the next weekend would be a special event. Two nights of show tunes featuring the musical talents of Jamison McMann. The thought made the girl’s head pound. While she was happy to sing with Jamie again, the show tune events made the club stupid busy.

           Curses of New York, David would joke. 

           “So, Gorgeous one.” David started, “I heard that Mr. Okoru called you to his office after Saturday's show. Is everything ok?” 

           The concern in his voice and expression was obvious, making the girl’s heart warm. It was nice to have a friend like David around. An older brother of sorts, who really just wanted the best for her. She knows that if her were in the rooms with her when she was told to come to Mr. Okoru’s office it would have taken three men to keep him out of the meeting. David never liked (y/n) alone with the men they worked with, and it was no secret why. He saw them for who they really were, slime.

           “Don’t worry Davey,” The girl cooed, “Mr. Okoru just wanted to give me another gift .”

           Her last words came out a bit more exasperated than she intended them to. She was thankful, but the presents had become a bit much. Even so, she adored Francoeur, even if it felt more like Mr. Okoru gave her a roommate rather than a pet. No, her mind corrected itself. Her boss hadn’t given her either of those things. He had given her a prisoner, second hand from his daughter. 

           David didn’t know that though, and she wasn’t sure if she’d actually tell him the whole truth. IT felt almost personal. To her, to Francoeur. Still, the man’s eyes lit up at the news as he leaned over top of his piano to smile in her direction.

           “Dinner on you then?” He teased, “Where is the certificate for this time? Clover Hill? Jean-Georges? Per Se? Will I be needing to pull out my suit?”

           (Y/n) couldn’t help but laugh, “No, no. Not dinner this time.” 

           “Then what did he give you?” David hummed, trying to hide his disappointment that came with missing out of yet another fine dining meal.

           “Well…” The girl started, the sleeves of her pull over suddenly becoming very interesting. “He got me a pet turtle. A really big pet turtle.”

           The man’s eyebrows pinched together at her response. “How big of a turtle could this man have gotten you. Is it like a Giant Tortoise or something?”

           “Big,” (y/n) laughed nervously. “I’m pretty sure Francoeur is taller than you are.” 

           (Y/n) thought David’s eyes were about to jump out of his head at her words. He was completely baffled. The man’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to think up a response. Any response. He couldn’t tell if this was some kind of joke, or if their boss was actually crazy enough to have not only found but gift a giant monster turtle. Ultimately, David could only voice one question, his main concern.

           “Is this thing, dangerous?”

           “Well…” She started again, once again nervous. “I’m sure he is dangerous in his own right, but I don’t think he’s going to hurt me. Besides, he's still recovering. We finally got the base level burns healed up.”

           “Base level burns? Where did this thing come from? Hell?”

           “Be nice,” (Y/n) suddenly got defensive. “He’s been through a lot ok. I’m sure Francoeur just wants to go back to his family, but I can’t exactly get him there when we are constantly monitored in my apartment. Even if I tried to make it so he ‘ran away’ he’s in no condition to move quickly.”

           The man stared at his partner for a moment before sighing. “You get attached too fast you know? Just be careful with this thing, ok. I don’t want you to get hurt. Physically or emotionally. Kapeesh?”

           “Kapeesh.” (Y/n) agreed with a stultifying nod. “Now, break time’s over. Can you start at measure eleven of Maybe? ”

           Without a word, David played the first few notes of the measure. (Y/n) smiled in response before taking a breath and singing the section. The next few hours breezed by before the friends ended the night with dinner together. When the girl went to leave however, David stopped her with another word of caution about her pet. He then kissed her head and let her go, leaving her with her thoughts.

           She supposed that David had a point. A giant pet of any kind could be dangerous. His worry was justified. Maybe if he met Francoeur his thoughts on the matter would change. Or…was he just right. The poor turtle had been through hell, most likely at the hands of one of (y/n)’s best friends. He had every right to be angry. Him directing it towards his new owner would not be too terribly far-fetched. Neither would Francoeur attempt to run for it while she was away.

           That thought made her stomach drop. She didn’t want him to run away. (Y/n) liked Francoeur. He was interesting, even if he couldn’t speak. Not to mention no one ever wanted to watch Sci-fi with her. He also woke up early and walked laps around the gym as she worked out. The company alone was a pleasant change. If he was gone, so was everything he brought to her. Now with a new sense of urgency the girl punched in her code and threw the door open. 

           "Francoeur,” she called into the apartment while shutting the door. “Are you still awake?”

           No response. (y/n) took a deep breath to keep her mind from jumping to conclusions as she kicked off her flats. He’s probably just in bed, she told herself before wandering down the main hall to the living room. Upon turning the corner, she froze. 

           Francoeur hadn’t left. Instead, he was asleep on the couch, tucked under a blanket while the ending scenes of Attack of the Clones played on the television. The sight made (y/n) smile. Her pet looked so peaceful while he slept. Quietly she approached and turned off the move before sitting on the coffee table beside the turtle. She felt bad that she was about to wake him, but the couch would certainly not help with his recovery. Sleeping in a bed would be much better.

           So carefully she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. (y/n) expected the shaking to stir him, but not scare him to the extent it had. Before she could process it, Francoeur had grabbed her by the wrist, flipped her over the back of the couch, and pinned her to the floor. He glared down at her until her shocked yelp faded into the air. The noise was all it took to wake him, and instantly send him into a new panic.

           “S-s…” he tried to speak while frantically releasing her wrists.

           Luckily, when the shock faded (y/n) laughed in disbelief. “Damn Francoeur, you really are a ninja huh.”

           Sheepishly her pet nodded as he stood up and offered her a hand. With a smile, (Y/n) took it, allowing the turtle to pull her to her feet. While laughing the girl rubbed the back of her head, where it made contact with the wood floor. Once again Francoeur attempted to speak, only for the girl to shush him.

           “If you're trying to apologize, it’s ok. I scared you.” The girl reassured him. “I just didn’t want you to cause yourself stiff muscles by sleeping on the couch. The bed will be much better for you.”

***

           Laundry day landed on Thursday. It only took (y/n) two loads to wash what she needed, but thanks to the nature of her work attire, as soon as the items came out of the washer, they had to be hung up in various locations around the apartment. By dinner time, Francoeur was struggling to walk from room to room without running into a dress, or worse, an undergarment of his owner’s that was drying. Playing it safe, he chose to simply stay close to the girl as she went about her day.

           Luckily this made his daily check-up easier for her to do, the end of which came with the joy filled announcement that his eyes seemed all better, and also gave her an extra set of hands when it came to the switching and putting away of her laundry. As of right now the pair were working in the master bedroom together. As Francoeur folded her clothes (y/n) collected them to put back where the items belonged. In the end, the girl simply had to run out into the hall to put towels into the linen closet before they could officially call it a day. 

           In the few minutes that she was gone, her wall art once again caught the turtle’s attention. Specifically, her degrees. She has two science degrees, why isn’t she using them, he thought to himself. Sure, (y/n) was a wonderful singer, but with degrees like that it just seemed like she could be doing more with her life. There was also the matter of how young she was. How she had not one, but two college degrees as a twenty-year-old baffled him. Francoeur was so lost in thought about the framed documents that he hadn’t realized his owner had returned until she spoke.

           “I see you finally found my degrees,” (y/n) began as she moved to stand beside him. “I graduated about a year ago. Science came easy to me, so choosing science majors was kinda a given.”

           Well, that gave him a few answers but there was still something weighing on him, so clearing his throat Francoeur managed to croak out a single word. “Y-young.”

           (Y/n) hummed, surprised that he had spoken, but soon smiled. “Oh, yeah. I guess I am young to have them. I graduated high school at fifteen and started college the next year. My dad was an amazing support system for me. We moved from New Mexico to New York just for me to attend Columbia. 

           “He really wanted me to be a scientist just like him. I almost chose to focus on herpetology, so I could be just like him. Ultimately I shifted to microbiology instead, and then had some extra time so I picked up a physics degree as well.” 

           Suddenly, her eyes became distant, and her voice softened. “When he died, my father told me he was proud of me. Proud that I followed in his footsteps, proud of my internship, proud of my degrees…” Her voice began to break as (y/n) wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. “He never wanted me to pursue music… If he saw me now… what would he think?” 

           When her voice petered off into nothingness, Francoeur turned his head. (Y/n) was staring at the ground, tightly gripping her sleeves as silent tears rushed down her cheeks. He never imagined she’d open up to him like this, nor that she was hurting so much because of her decisions. He wasn’t quite sure what to do.

           His actions were full of hesitance, as he attempted to work on instinct. First, he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing (y/n) to quickly look up at him. Next, he broke a line of her tears with his finger. She leaned into his touch. Finally, he took a breath and opened his arms for her. (y/n) didn’t even hesitate as she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his shell as her face buried itself in his plastron. Her crying then became harder.

           Francoeur wrapped his arms around the girl in return, and simply let her cry. She seemed like she needed this, and he would be right. For so long (y/n) hadn’t allowed herself too deep of thought about her father, and his potential thoughts of her life choices. It always hurts too much. Yet standing here, telling Francoeur about him, and simply crying. It felt as if a weight was being lifted off her shoulders. 

           The pain in her chest finally evaporated away when her turtle carefully pet her hair and forced out another single word. “Proud.” 

           She held onto him tighter. (Y/n) didn’t know if Francoeur was saying he was proud of her, or if he thought that her father was proud. Admittedly, it didn’t matter to her. That single word was all she needed. Someone, anyone who mattered to her, to be proud of her. It took a few more moments, but soon, her tears dried, and she released her pet front he embraced. When she stepped away, she was met with a soft smile which she eagerly returned, before wiping her eyes, and grabbing his hand so that they could start to make dinner. 

***

           The weekend was long. After both Friday and Saturday’s performance, (y/n) was pleasantly surprised to find Francoeur waiting for her, but she could tell he was ready for a day where she wouldn't be gone. So, when Sunday came, the pair woke early and started their day as usual, in the gym. As (y/n) worked through her usual regimen Francoeur walked laps. Every morning he would make it nearly fifty laps before his owner finished her work out. Today, however, she had a different plan. With the exception of his throat, which was still visibly irritated when she checked, her turtle was nearly back to peak health. He could certainly do more than just walk (y/n) decided, and she was going to motivate him to do just that.

           “So! Francoeur the ninja turtle. Wanna show me some moves?” she called out to him, only for her turtle to look back at her with extreme amounts of hesitation. “Come on, you're practically good as new, and at this point could probably use some physical therapy.” (Y/n) pressed before moving towards a sparring mat she had laid out in the center of the room. 

           She then eyed her turtle before waving a hand, indicating for him to approach. Which extreme hesitation he complied, only to shake his head when she attempted to pull him onto the mat. Francoeur flickered his eyes between hers and the mat for a few moments before shaking his head again. This was a bad idea. (Y/n) was right, he was good as new, which means he could seriously hurt her in a spar.

           As if reading his mind, (y/n) chose that moment to giggle. “Francoeur, are you worried about me?” She asked him, earning a nod in return. With her usual kind smile, the girl approached and placed a hand on her turtle’s shoulder. “Trust me, I'll be fine. I didn’t earn that black belt for nothing.”

           Finally, he gave in, and the pair began to spar. He put up very little fight, focusing mainly on defense as (y/n) lunched, punched and kicked at him. When needed he would toss in a simple attack, but it was easy to dodge. If you would have asked him, Francoeur would have insisted that he was being subtle with his lack of effort, but (y/n) would say otherwise. 

           After her fourth time pinning her larger opponent (y/n) leaned over him from her perch over his hips. “You're going easy on me, Francoeur. Come on, I'm not made of porcelain.” She teased while poking between his eyes. “Just try one round, at full strength. Unless of course, you’re afraid, Turtle. ”

           The taunting worked. IF this girl wanted a fight, she would get a fight. The turtle simply hoped that she knew what she was getting into. So, as they got into position this time, they thought back to the previous rounds. She nursed her left ankle; it would be best for him to aim his attacks that way. But not at first. No. This was going to last. 

           Back and forth the two alternated between offense and defense. Francoeur accepted the hits that landed against his plastron, just as (y/n) accepted the bruises slowly forming on her side. After a while, she went for his wrist, but Francoeur took it as his opening. Ducking under her, he skillfully flipped the girl with an admittedly, obscene amount of strength. 

           (y/n) landed with a thud when her pet finally managed to throw her over his shoulder. At first, the sound was so jarring that the turtle panicked. Too strong, his mind shouted at him as he rushed over to look down at his owner. To his surprise when they made eye contact (y/n) began to laugh. Francoeur’s eyes widened at the noise, but still, he helped her to her feet as soon as her arm was outstretched to him.

           “Ok ok, you win. You are the almighty ninja turtle.” She praised causing a cocky grin to appear on Francoeur’s face as he nodded proudly. “Now, how about some victory ice cream.”

***

         After the weekend finally ended, Francoeur and (y/n) found themselves back into the peaceful routine of their weekday. Start the morning off with sometime in the gym before getting ready for the day and doing a few chores. If there is enough on the list, that would take them until dinner, which is how the day worked out for them this Monday. After eating their frozen pizza, which Francoeur insisted on, laid across the couch, watching the last hour of space heroes that their favorite cartoon channel was playing.

         When the programming changed the pair began their search for something else to watch. Lazily, (y/n) reached for the remote as she crossed her ankles in her pet’s lap. Channel after channel she listed the programming before looking back at Francoeur for approval. So far, no dice. 

         “Ghost hunters?” (y/n) asked and Francoeur shook his head ‘No’. “Chopped?” another no. “Basketball?” Once again he said no.

         A groan left the girl’s mouth as she lightly kicked his thigh. This had been going on for about twenty minutes now. They couldn’t seem to agree on anything to watch tonight and it was starting to get frustrating. Her turtle grabbed (y/n)’s ankle after her attack, sending her a quick glare before placing it on his lap along with her other foot. She could tell from this look that he had officially reached the point of not giving a shit what they watched as long as something was chosen. 

         So, turning back to the television, (y/n) scrolled until she finally passed all of the news channels and landed on some art network. The Italian Renaissance, a Revolutionary Birth. Not an ideal show, but it would work. After all, it was already late. The pair were simply looking for a lazy show to watch until they felt tired enough for bed. Hopefully, (y/n) thought, this will be boring enough to put us to sleep.

         When she selected the challenge Francoeur released a heavy breath from his nose. Never in his twenty-one years of life had he chosen an art documentary to watch. He had done it to himself, he supposed and decided that he should have just said yes to Chopped when he had the chance. Anything would have been better than this, he mused to himself as he slumped further into the couch cushions. 

         The first hour of the program passed uneventfully. Francoeur felt ready to pass out, while (y/n) distracted herself on her cell phone. The girl had somehow managed to find the most boring art documentary ever, the pair had decided, but neither would admit it. So instead, they listened to the soft timber of the Scottish narrator as she went over one point perspective. 

         We see a wonderful example of this in this famous painting. The last supper by Leonardo Di Vinci. Suddenly Turtle sat up a bit straighter while nudging (y/n)’s feet with such force that one fell from his lap to the floor. With a wince she looked at him curiously only to find her pet urgently pointing at the television in front of them. Confused, she paused it and squinted at the screen. They were panning over Di Vinci’s last supper. Nothing that extraordinary.

         “You ok there, Francoeur?” she finally asked her pet who jumped to his feet and approached the television pointing more intently at it. “The last supper? We literally just ate a huge bowl of Popcorn. How are you still hungry?”

         The turtle vigorously shook his head in response as he pointed once again at the screen and squeaked out a single word. “N-name.” 

         “Name?” She asked curiously before taking a moment to process. After a second passed it hit her. “Oh! Your name! It’s on the screen!”

         The girl then stood herself in favor of moving to stand in front of the television. The turtle was just poignant to the center of the screen. Directly at Jesus. Her face dropped. Was her pet turtle's name seriously Jesus? With disbelief draped across her face she looked back at him.

         “Your name is Jesus really?” Francoeur looked surprised at first at her guess but quickly shook his head no. “No? Ok then how about Thomas?” 

           Once again she got a no. Down the line we go I guess. She thought before beginning to list all twelve of Jesus’ apostles before huffing irritatedly. Her pet didn’t seem to be in much better shape when it came to his patience, for once she said ‘the other James’ he rolled his eyes and turned to face the screen himself. That was when he knelt down and literally touched the screen directly over the Artist's name.

           “Leonardo Di Vinci?” (y/n) mumbled before the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. “Leonardo! Your name is Leonardo?!”

           The turtle grinned widely as he nodded and scratchily said. “Yeah.” 

           (Y/n) jumped up with a wide smile before hugging her pet. “Ah! I love it! That name is absolutely perfect! Leonardo, The best pet turtle.”

           Francoeur, no, Leonardo rolled his eyes at the addition of ‘pet’ but didn’t fault the girl for it. Instead, he returned the hug and lightly ran her ponytail through his fingers. Warmth filled his chest as he thought about her excitement. It was comforting that she found such joy in the little things that made him less of an object and more of a living being. Not that she would ever know, but really (y/n) simply being (y/n) was making this whole situation more bearable. Deep down, however, he knew that it would almost make leaving that much harder.

Chapter Text

         Leonardo learned something new about his owner. She is OBSESSIVE. Ever since she found out his name she’s been doing research regarding it. First she made a master list of famous Leonardo’s. Next she looked up the popularity of the name since the renaissance. After that she got sidetracked and began researching how royalty worked in the renaissance. He thought he was safe. Until she learned that a king in Hungary commissioned Leonardo Di Vinci for a painting. Back on his name she went. It’s been two days of this cycle.

         Seeing as it was day three the turtle was really hoping she was done. After all, she had been pretty quiet throughout his daily check-up. Maybe that was just so he didn’t try to respond while she looked at his throat. After all, she was obsessive, not stupid. She could tell he was wanting to tell her to shut up. In fact, that’s why she’s been so stuck on it. His words while poignant out his name were the clearest they’ve ever been. Now, after looking at his throat, she could see that almost all of the irritation and redness was gone. Just a bit more pushing and he’s probably saying something, shocking himself in the process.

         (Y/n) loved people’s faces when they figured something out, so while closing up her first aid kit she absentmindedly said. “Did you know that Leonardo means Lion-hearted or strong as a Lion.”

“God you're as bad as Donnie!” Leonardo finally groaned before sitting wide eyes while staring at her. “Did I just say that out loud?”

         “You did.” The girl in front of him smiled. “Quite clearly as well.”

         “It didn’t hurt,” he mumbled in amazement. “That was the last thing. I recovered. Oh my god! (Y/n) I'm recovered!” 

         “You recovered!” She cheered along with him only to be shocked as she was picked up in a sudden hug.

         The Turtle twirled his owner around three times before finally allowing her feet to meet with the floor once again. He was shocked by his own excitement, but not as shocked as he was by hers. (Y/n) seemed to be bursting with joy. And she was. Her now, dare she say, beloved pet was finally healthy again. He could walk without pain, see without straining himself, and talk as much as he’d like. How could she not be happy for him?

         Scoring though his mind, Leonardo tried to figure out what he wanted to say first. There was so much he could tell her, ask her. Where should he start? He scanned her eyes hoping they held an answer, to no avail. Instead, it was the single brown grocery bag that the pair were too lazy to unpack last week that helped him make up his mind. 

         “Now that I can actually talk there is something I need to tell you,” Leonardo started, his expression becoming serious, “Someone has got to knock some sense into your co-workers for talking to you like that. He sounds like a walking cesspool.”

         She shrugged in response. “Sadly, I'm used to it. But if my big scary pet turtle happens to accidentally attack Ito, I wouldn't really stop him.” 

         He didn’t like that. How nonchalant she was about this situation. He’s witnessed it more than enough times now to know that this man’s behavior was not isolated. Yet (Y/n) simply shrugged as if it was no different than a stray cloud blocking the sun on an otherwise perfect day. A minor inconvenience at worst. Leonardo feared the day that that man, no, that monster chose to attack her with more than just his words. In their few weeks together, he had grown attached to his owner, and didn't want anything to happen to her. 

         So, when he heard his opening through the girl’s teasing he took it and with a smirk Leonardo drew out his words. “Is that a command or…”

         “Whatever it takes,” (Y/n) teases. “But unfortunately, I do have to get ready, we have guests coming over today.” 

         As she spoke, Y/n wiggled her hips free from Leonardo’s grip and began backing towards the master bedroom to change, smile ever present. Her turtle simply smiled at her at first, before her words caught up with him. Guests? As in human guests? As in most likely screaming human guests? Especially when they see her pet turtle, that if they are even expecting at all, they probably expect to be tiny and hand sized. Not pushing six feet tall with lean muscles and, oh right, that ability to speak!

         “Guests?”

         “Yep, it is Wednesday night and Mr. Okoru has us scheduled for a special Broadway event this weekend meaning that David and I will have to practice with Jamison.” She explained, smile wavering slightly as she noticed her pet’s nerves.. “We’ll be in the office for most of our rehearsal time, you're welcome to join us, or you can watch television or hide in my room, or whatever you wanna do really. I mean they are coming to our home, not the other way around.”

         When Leonardo's tension failed to dissipate, (y/n) walked back up to him. With softened features she placed her hand on her pet’s arm and rubbed her thumb across his bicep. When he chose to look away in response, the girl took a bolder approach. Moving her hand to his cheek, (y/n) guided her pet to look at her and gave him a smile.

         “Listen Fran-er, Leonardo.” She started, trying not to cringe at her mistake. “If you're really uncomfortable with people being here, I'll call Davey and have us rehearse across the hall. Just say the word and it's done.” 

         Her tone was so sincere that Leonardo felt as if he could melt where he stood. With an indecipherable look in her eye clouded by unadulterated kindness he knew she was being honest. If he wanted to get out of this situation, to continue his track record of hiding away from all strangers, she would make it happen for him. Little did he know, if Leonardo asked her to move heaven and earth (Y/n) would figure out how for him. After all, it was what her heart was telling her was right.

         She was not quite sure when it started, but somewhere along the line this feeling developed. A feeling of devotion to her dear pet. Something she had never felt before. A tingling sensation in her stomach that moved to her chest whenever she thought about her turtle. A clenching in her heart when she feared he was uncomfortable or unhappy with her actions. A drive to make the world perfect for him, which included giving him this option. (Y/n) didn’t like the glimmer of fear in his eyes, or the idea that her hosting would cause him any sort of distress. So, she was wholehearted offering him the solution. It was simply up to Leonardo to decide whether or not he was going to take it. 

         With a deep breath, he made up his mind. Raising his hand to cover (y/n)’s he leaned into her touch. “Don’t change your plans. If I need to, I'll just make myself scarce.”

         The girl hummed a bit, rubbing her thumb against his cheek bone. “You sure?”

         “Positive.” He gave her hand a squeeze as his final bit of assurance. 

         “Thank you,” (y/n) grinned while wrinkling her nose before lifting onto her toes and kissing her turtle’s cheek. “Now I've really gotta get ready.”  

         (Y/n) escaped the room with a smile, only to lock herself in the master bedroom and lean against the door. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she thought about her racing heart. While she wasn’t sure what she was feeling, she liked it. It made her feel warm and empowered. Raising a hand to her lips, she gently pried it from her teeth. If she focused she could still feel the texture of his skin. It was smoother than she expected. A child-like giggle escaped her throat as she pictured his gentle smile that she caused. What a wonderful feeling , she thought to herself before pushing off the door to change.  

         Meanwhile, in the living room Leonardo stood like a statue with his hand lingering where (y/n)’s lips once were. He did NOT expect a kiss. Then again, he didn’t expect her concern either. Even as more time passed (Y/n) continues to surprise him. She is a girl shrouded in mystery disguised as an open book, and damn if he didn’t want to read more. There was a new desire forming within the turtle. A longing to know anything and everything he could about his owner. He wanted to know her dreams, hopes for the future. No. Knowing them wouldn’t be enough. He wanted to live with her. 

         With that thought his heart stopped. Leonardo wanted to stay with her. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the tops of New York's buildings dotted with shadows from the midday sun and thought of his brothers. They were still out there looking for him. Wanting him home. Home where he should want to be as well. I do want to be home, Leonardo told himself as he looked back down the hall towards the master suite, I just want (Y/n) to stay with me. Was that it? He wondered. 

         He just wanted her with him, or was he wanting more? Leonardo didn't know, and he didn’t want to know. The turtle worried that the truth would be far more than he could handle and decided that the best course of action was to simply let things be what they will be until the time that he would be forced to act. Then, and only then, would he worry about what he wanted. Until then, he would just enjoy the warm feeling in his chest that was caused by the girl.

***

         After Y/n was ready for the day, she and Leonardo began prepping for their guests. Leonardo restocked the fridge with drinks while (y/n) scrambled to tidy up the best she could. Next they moved to the living room. Together they chose a few movies for Leonardo to watch, made sure he had all the pillows and blankets that he could desire, and of course, made sure her switch fully charged so he could play on it if he got bored.

         “Now this is the ultimate relaxation station,” The girl beamed as she flopped onto the sofa landing directly on her fuzzy throw blanket.

         “Yeah, it is pretty nice.” Leonardo agreed as he approached the girl. Once he was close enough he tapped the top of her head, prompting (y/n) to sit up just enough for him to join her on the couch, only to lay her head back down against his thighs. “Too bad you don’t get to enjoy it tonight.”

         (y/n) scoffed. “Please, if you don’t think I'm invading as soon as the boys leave, you're insane.”

         Leonardo chuckled at her and began to run his fingers through her loose hair. If he was being honest, he wished that (y/n) could stay here with him all night. Together they could watch their chosen movies and play video games. It would just be fun and relaxing. Instead, he was losing her to work. Work that was coming to her, which was even worse. Still. For at least a moment they got to relax with each other. (y/n)’s eyes softly cloning as she eased into his touch, and  Leonardo humming mindlessly under his breath.

         For the few minutes they had everything, it seemed perfect. The world was just the two of them, and nothing could possibly go wrong. All good things must end however, and after far too little time they were interrupted. A knock on the door caught their attention and let them know that the time to relax had officially passed. Even so, (y/n) sat up to face him and grabbed his hand.

         “Are you sure you're okay with this?” She asked him for a final time, fully prepared to send her friends away if he asked her to do so.

         Her turtle smiled before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. “Yes.” he insisted. 

         “Okay,” (Y/n) grinned as she left the couch and went to the door.

         With a smile she opened it, happy to see it was in fact David and Jamison on the other side. As per usual, they were dressed much nicer than she was, Jamison more so than David. The blond Broadway dancer decided to wear a half open button down with a blazer and black jeans, successfully out classing in friends as he always does. David, while much more casual, still looked more put together than (y/n) in her sweater and shorts with jeans and a clearly ironed V-neck shirt. Of course, the girl knew that he was dressed to impress, after all it was a Jamison rehearsal

         “So, I've been thinking,” David started as he pushed past her into the apartment. If Jamison’s eye roll was any indication, this was clearly something he had been going on about for a while. “We have officially made up the perfect team, all we need to do is drag in Karai and then BOOM! All slots covered.”

         The hostess blinked for a moment, attempting to make sense of his words before turning towards Jamison. “What is he on about?”

         “Please don’t get him started.” The blonde groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose.

         “Oh, come on! You know I'm right.” Their friend continued. “We could have our own television show where we fight crime or something!” 

         “You're completely insane.” (Y/n) responds with an eye roll.

         “I am not!” David argued as he wrapped his arms around his friends’ shoulders. “We’ve got Jamie! The emotional one. Karai! Our strong-willed leader. (Y/n)! The brains of the operation. And Me! The fun one.”

         Jamison snorted at the categorization of their friend group. “Since when are you the fun one?”

         “Since (Y/n) is too smart for that position. If we were to move her out of the team genius position we would be completely screwed.” 

         The group laughed at his argument whole heartedly. It also made (y/n) wonder if she weren’t the team genius where she could be placed. One of the boys would easily double as a heart throb, and Karai was a far more experienced fighter than her. There wouldn’t even be a secondary character arch available anyway, she decided, and decided to simply take pride in the fact that she was the smartest person in the room. While the other categorizations mostly made sense, there was one that seemed… well off. 

         “Okay, then why is Karai the leader? Isn’t she a little…” (y/n) trailed off. “Well, I love her when I say this, but impulsive?” 

         Impulsive, (Y/n) rolled her eyes at her own choice of word. Impulsive wasn’t what she wanted to use, but the boys didn’t know what she did. Before her show last week, (y/n) had met with Karai to give her the promised chance to explain herself, and the explanation she got was less than ideal. 

         “Your pet turtle and his brothers are being trained by my dad’s arch nemesis.” Karai had explained. “We’ve been fighting them for over five years now.”

         “You’ve been fighting turtles…for five years?” (y/n) asked, her tone making it evident that she did not want to entertain Karai’s story. “You do realize that means you’ve been fighting, and since it’s been going on for half a decade, losing to teenage turtles right?”

         Karai groaned. “I know it sounds ridiculous but it’s true! Please (y/n) you have to trust me.” 

         (Y/n) had sighed at her friend’s pleading. The story seemed almost too ridiculous to be made up, but at the same time, she was searching for Karai’s justification. Mindless violence in the name of their parents' war, it seems all for not in the singer’s opinion. Sensing that she was making little ground, Karai attempted a deeper dive into the ongoing conflict.

         “(Y/n) please understand. The Turtle’s master took away everything from my father,” She explained, making (Y/n) turn away from her mirror to look into her friend's eyes. “He killed my mother when he burned my father’s house to the ground. That's why I left…”

         “You left Francoeur in a fire as some kinda symbolic revenge?” (Y/n) bit into her every word, anger bubbling up in her stomach. “From the sounds of it, this isn’t your war Karai! And regardless as to what was done to you and your family, it does not justify taking it out on an innocent. I doubt Francoeur was even alive when that happened to you. You can be as angry as you want at the man who actually hurt you, but you cannot take it out on his students.”

         The silence between them was deafening. Karai’s unusually confident aura deflated at the scolding so intensely that the young woman went as far as to take a step back. She wasn’t sure what else she could say or do to justify her choices. All she knew was that she didn’t want (y/n) to be angry with her. So, she chose to say the only thing she could think of.

         “Your right,” Karai whispered. “I’m sorry.”

         “I don’t forgive you Karai, but in order to preserve our friendship I'll simply categorize this incident under a lapse of judgment.” (Y/n) said sternly, before softening her features and grabbing the other girl’s hands. “I really value our friendship and having you in my life, but I can't associate with someone who would think burning someone alive is justified for any reason. Please, think about this, and, I don't know, realign your morals.” 

         Yeah… Impulse could never cover all of that. But (y/n) wasn’t sure that any single word really could. Regardless, she stood by the point of her thought. Karai could not be the leader, and if she was no doubt they would be led right down the wrong path. 

         “Fine, if not Karai who is our fourth member, little miss.” David asked, his arms crossed in front of his chest expectantly. 

         (Y/n) thought for a moment. They really didn't know a lot of people which meant a few things. Firstly, they probably needed some more friends, and secondly, their options were extremely limited. Scanning her walls, she tried to think of someone, anyone who could play the team leader, when her eyes landed on the archway to the living room.

         Francoeur wouldn’t be a bad option, she thought while mentally going over the character traits of a good leader. Confident, kind, active listener, strong, he filled those categories well enough. Not to mention he could out fight her without breaking a sweat, so if they were in a crime fighting television show as David suggested, the turtle could kick some serious ass. Making up her mind, (Y/n) settled on her answer.

         “Why not, Francoeur?” She suggested.

         “Whose Francoeur?” Jamison asked, while David simply rolled his eyes.

         “Your pet turtle does not qualify for the team.”

         “Why not?” (y/n) asked before a confident smile formed on her lips. “He can certainly handle himself.”

         “Since when do you have a pet turtle?” Jamison cut in, clearing confused, with a welcome topic change.

         (Y/n) beamed at the chance to talk about Leonardo, a little too quickly even in her own opinion. “Mr. Okoru gave him to me, but he’s less of a pet and more of a roommate.”

         The boys exchanged a knowing glance at her reaction. Of course, in their heads, the light in her eyes, and wide smile were simply excitement from getting a new pet. Like a child with a puppy. They didn’t know that it was truthfully a result of the fluttering in her stomach that had begun to appear at the mention of her larger-than-life turtle. The girl had yet to allow herself the time to interpret her own feelings. So, while she knew the reaction was a bit too far, and a bit too excited, it didn’t concern her. Not yet at least.

         Chuckling, David moved towards his friend, “Do we get to meet this roommate then?”

         The girl released a burst of uncomfortable laughter at the question. Her day-long struggle came back to her mind as her friends waited curiously for an answer. All she could do was picture Leonardo’s concerned gaze, and the subtle tremor in his voice at the idea of visitors. It wouldn’t surprise her if he rarely interacted with people. After all, he was a giant turtle, one of nature's abnormalities, that outweighed the average adult male. Her heart panged when (y/n) imagined people screaming and running from her pet. Little did they know that he would never hurt them. 

         Leonardo was a kindhearted turtle, she decided not long after meeting him. Sure, he was strong, and huge, and a literal ninja, but just because he has certain abilities doesn’t mean he uses them for evil. Snapping out of her thoughts, (Y/n) looked back at her friends with a crooked smile.

         “Um… I don’t know. He didn’t seem too interested in meeting people today.” (Y/n) attempted to explain in a way that wouldn’t hurt anyone's feelings. 

         “Oh, come on! We’re fun.” Jamison insisted while bumping their shoulders.

         “Well, I know that, but I'm not going to force him to do anything he doesn’t want to. Besides, I just learned his real name a few days ago, I'd rather not back track on progress.”

         Unbeknownst to the group, Leonardo could hear their conversation from the living room. He hadn’t intended to ease drop, truly, but he hadn’t started his movies when the boys arrived, and David’s voice had a tendency to carry. So, he heard the boy's master plan for a crime fighting team including his friends, as well as (y/n) attempts to trade Karai out for him. The thought made him smile, as did her concern afterwards.

         It was nice to know that she was still considering his feelings about the situation. 

         That was when his stomach growled, and Leonardo realized something important. They had forgotten about dinner. (Y/n) said that she would usually feed her guest before they left but didn’t mention anything about dinner for him. Was he just supposed to find something? Or did she want him to join them for dinner? Leonardo had no idea, and no idea in this situation left only one choice. Going in and asking. 

         So silently Leonardo approached the living room, staying just out of sight as he waited for an opening that was least likely to scare their house guests.

         David blinded a few times, surprise written across his face. “You're telling me, learned his real name…and it was Francoeur?”

         “What? no!” (y/n) quickly corrected. “His name is Leonardo, Francoeur was just the name I gave him in the meantime, I'm still getting used to using his actual name.”

         That would work as well as any. Besides, Leonardo had actually grown quite fond of the pet’s name (Y/n) had given him. It was sweet, and special. Not to mention, that moment was the first time they truly bonded with each other. He didn’t want to lose that. So, with the conversation open, Leonardo hesitantly entered the room and walked up behind (y/n) once he was close enough, he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing the girl to jump and turn to look at him.

         “You…” he took a moment to clear his throat. “You can still call me Francoeur (y/n), it’s alright.”

         “Really?”(y/n) beamed, a smile spreading on her cheeks. “Thank you Francoeur, it’s like a special nickname.”

         The pair smiled peacefully at each other before remembering that they weren't alone. In an instant their eyes were on the boys, who were standing wide eyes with their jaws dropped. It didn’t even seem like they were breathing. (Y/n) was starting to get cornered while Leo simply tensed up. This is how it went. First shock then screaming. His hands lifted over his ears when the blonde boy suddenly pulled in a deep breath. 

         Instead of screaming, Jamison finally managed to speak through his shock. “That is a giant fucking turtle.”

         “Oh! Right!” The girl jumped, “Leonardo, this is David and Jamison. David and Jamison, this is Leonardo.”

         “Giant. Fucking. Turtle.” David responded.

         “Yes thank you, we established that.” (y/n) sighed exasperatedly at her friends. She was really hoping they would be better than this, but apparently not.

         They wanted to meet her pet, and now they had, and all they could do was point out the obvious as they started. No greeting, no kindness, just slack jawed stares. It made her grit her teeth. Leonardo, however, was relieved. He would take shock over terror any day. As a faint smile went to grace his face, his stomach growled once again.

         Right, the reason he came in here. 

         “ Anyway …” Leonardo trailed off, turning his attention to the sole girl in the room. “Can we order pizza tonight?” he decided to ask, it seemed better than stumbling through a pathetic, you forgot to make a plan for me to eat, ramble. “Specifically, Antonio’s. I’ve really been craving it and um… well up until today, saying ‘I would like Antonio's pizza please.’ was daunting.”

         The girl giggled. “Of course, Francoeur, can you set an alarm on the smart speaker to remind me to order later?”

         “On it.” 

         The turtle then went to leave, sparing (y/n) once last squeeze on her shoulder as a goodbye. The girl shot him a smile in response before turning to her friends once again. While they had finally managed to close their mouths, they still looked shocked at what they just saw. As irritated as it made her, (y/n) knew she really couldn’t judge. After all, when Leonardo was first thrown at her feet her first thought was also in direct correlation with his sheer size. It wasn’t every day that you saw a six-foot tall turtle. In retrospect, the fact that he can talk probably didn’t help ease their surprise. 

         Neither did the dreamy expression that glazed over (Y/n)’s eyes when she spoke to him. From where the boys stood, they saw a fully devoted girl and an equally committed turtle speaking with the utmost respect for each other as well as wells worth of hidden emotion. It was something they both longed for (y/n) to find, after all, the girl was like a little sister to them. The fact that the recipient of such affection is a giant talking turtle was not exactly what they had in mind.

         “He seems...nice…” Jamison hesitated, clearly still trying to process what he witnessed

         “He is nice.” (Y/n) responded with a sigh and a smile.

         “And he’s not dangerous.” David asked, tone serious.

         This serious tone snapped the girl out of her daze, as she turned to the boys. “He’s not going to hurt you, I promise.” 

         They exchanged a look, but only Jamison was brave enough to voice their thoughts. “But he could…”

         “Let’s start practicing.” (Y/n) cut him off. 

***

         As the group practiced, Leonardo made himself comfortable in the living room. He had a movie playing as he focused on his Pokémon adventure on the switch. For the past hour, he listened to the rehearsal, surprised to have only heard the boys singing thus far. The only time he heard (Y/n)’s voice was when she gave notes or did a simple vocal trill. Of course, all of this was interlocked with the occasional burst of laughter, or teasing which just made the turtle smile to himself.

         He loves me not

         He doesn't like me

         He thinks not highly of me

         The first hints of (Y/n)’s voice caused him to look away from his game fully in favor of watching the office doors. It was overlapped by Jamison’s voice, but based upon the tempo, Leonardo could only assume that the song still had more to come. A desire to hear her singing voice bubbled to life in his chest to the point where he saved his game and set it to the side.

         Then he would know I love him

         Then he would gladly take my love

         I know he wants to say that he loves me

         But what does he say?

         She sounded great, Leonardo decided. She had sounded great the night he first heard her sing as well. He was sure that if circumstances had been different he could have really enjoyed her set that night. Unfortunately, at the time he was in excruciating pain, and trying to figure out if there was any way for him to escape and get back home to his brothers without getting himself killed. Now, in a moment with far less stakes, and in far better health, Leonardo found himself listening fondly to the trio sing. Taking in their layered vocals and harmonizing. It was evident that they were professional performers.

         It's gone and who can trace it?

         My life's yours

         For the asking

         And yet he loves me not

         Leonardo could hear the laughter that followed with the end of the song and was admittedly tempted to applaud even though he doubted they would hear it over the fun they were having. Yeah, he thought with a smile, these two were much better for (Y/n) than the others . The turtle’s smile stayed as he continued to listen to their songs, only faltering when the smart speaker began to chime. It was time to order the pizza. 

         Pushing himself off the couch, the turtle hesitantly made his way to the office door. He didn’t want to interpret. They sounded like they were having fun and considering that was the first song (Y/n) actually sung, he doubted they were close to being finished. There was also the added concern that they boys wouldn’t take it well again. 

         Well, they already had the AHH GIANT TURTLE! Freak out, he thought to himself with a sigh, hoping that that thought would comfort him enough as he reached up to knock on the door. 

         To his surprise, what followed was the sound of someone tripping followed by laughter. From the sounds of it, (Y/n) was one of those laughing, which comforted Leonardo, who was admittedly concerned that she just landed face first onto the carpet. His questions regarding who had fallen were soon answered as a brunette male opened the door while rubbing his newly red elbow. Apparently, it was David. The same one who was now looking up at the turtle wide eyed.

         “Leonardo!” he all but shouted. 

         “Hi…” The turtle responded; tone obviously uneasy. 

         Trying to save her pet from the no doubt awkward situation to come, (Y/n) pushed past her friend to the door. “Hey! Whatcha need?”

         “The alarm went off,” Leonardo replied a bit sheepishly. When said out loud, he left like it was an even stupider reason to interrupt than originally.

         (Y/n) however, seemed completely unbothered, as her smile grew. “Oh ok, why don’t you hang out with the boys for a minute, and I’ll get us some dinner. One cheese, one Pepperoni?”

         Everyone nodded at her order before they watched their sole girl leave the office, causing all three men to look at each other awkwardly. Leonardo was tempted to simply wave and go back to the living room, but the boys had a different plan. Without warning all awkwardness faded from David and without hesitation, he lifted onto his toes to wrap an arm around Leonardo’s shoulder, dragging him into the office. 

         Instantly they pulled him into their conversation. The boys first gave proper introductions. David explained that he was the typical accompanist of (y/n) and Jamison proudly boasted about his career on Broadway as a consistent ensemble member. When they finished they both looked at Leonardo expectantly. Mentally he scrambled to figure out the right amount to tell them before he spoke.

         “Oh um, well you already know my name is Leonardo. I have three younger brothers and um, I'm trained in ninjutsu.” He told them.

         David chuckled a bit as he suddenly bumped his shoulder with the turtle before wandering towards the piano. “A ninja turtle huh. You don’t see that every day.”

         “Well, you also don’t see giant turtles to begin with. If I'm being honest, ninjutsu isn’t that far out of left field.” Jamison chuckled. “I mean didn't you see that huge dog thing on the roof of the grocery store a few weeks back. He was fighting something, and I said you dreamed it up.”

         “Grocery store in Chinatown?” Leonardo asked and the boys nodded causing him to chuckle. “Yeah, that was my brothers and I fighting Dog pound.”

         “Well, there you have it, I’m not insane.” David said with a smile. “Thank you for supporting my sanity, dear turtle.”

         Together the group laughed before the conversation shifted to their current set. The boys explained to Leonardo that they had to have at least seven songs. One trio, which they sang earlier, three duets (one for each pair), and three solos. Mr. Okoru insisted that he hear them all sing during this event, and they didn’t want to disappoint.  Of course, this upset David the most, as the boy raved that he was not a singer, and being paired with two angelic singers, as he described them, made him seem that much worse.

         Then there was the issue of (Y/n)’s numbers. From what they were saying it seemed as if she was really throwing her partners for a loop, having turned down half a dozen numbers so far.

         “(Y/n) really needs some more practice, but I need to get these notes down before anything else.” David groaned as he popped his fingers. “Why can’t she just sing something that we already know.”

         “Because she's terrified of Mr. Okoru.” Jamison replied simply, though there was a bit of sadness in his tone.

         Silence settled over the room. Jamison and David looked at each other sadly as they thought about (y/)’s fear while Leonardo gritted his teeth. While the humans knew why she was so afraid, as well as what had happened to her in the past at their boss’ hand, Leonardo was angry for a separate reason. He was angry because a girl like her shouldn’t have to be afraid. She was kind, loyal, and smart. She could be anywhere in the world if she wanted to be, but instead (y/n) was stuck working for a man she feared. Feeling the need to break the mood, David moved back to their main topic, with added dramatics to keep the other’s focus.

         “Still, I need a break, but we can’t have her losing her tone.” David whined before looking over at Leonardo, a smirk quickly replacing his pout. “Wait a minute. Leonardo could sing a piece with her. Give us both a few minutes to chill and her a bit of warm up.”

         While Leonardo’s eyes widened at the idea, Jamison's face lit up. It was clear that he liked the idea. In an instant he had turned on his heel and looked up at the turtle.

         “What do you say, Leonardo? Why not stay and practice with us?” Jamison suggested while nudging the turtle with his shoulder. “Sing a song or two with our leading lady?”

         The turtle in question laughed sheepishly at the notion. “If I sang it would probably cause an avalanche.” 

         “Boo!” David shouted with a laugh. “Come on man, we’re all friends here. Besides, singing is just like fancy sustained talking. I’m sure you could do it if you tried.”

         Leonardo laughed again. “I don’t know. I don’t know a lot of songs anyhow.”

         “Well, that’s an easy thing to fix.” Jamison perked up before grabbing his folder and digging though for a certain piece. Once he found it, he showed it to David with a smirk, an expression the other man soon mimicked before encouraging his friend to pass off the song. “Just read over this one as we work through the next few, then you can sing it with (Y/n). It’s one of her best numbers.”

         “Alright, pizza is ordered.” (Y/n) announced when she walked back into the room, interrupting any response the turtle could come up with as the sheet music was unceremoniously shoved into his grasp. . “The guy on the phone said they were kinda slammed with orders, so they estimated an hour. I hope that’s alright for everyone.”

         “Perfect! It’ll give Leonardo more time to learn that piece.” David chuckled.

         “What piece?” The girl asked before looking towards her turtle only to see him holding a small packet of music. “Those two aren’t giving you a hard time are they.” 

         “Come on, give up more credit,” David whined, though his smirk never left. “We were just preparing him to sing a duet with you.”

         (Y/n) blinked at the new information before looking at her turtle who simply nodded in agreement. “Okay then…” 

         “Yep, he gets till we finish up the rest of the set to practice, then it’s all you guys.” Jamie chuckled before playfully shoving (y/n) and pretending to flip hair over his shoulder. “Now, get out of my spotlight. It’s my time to shine.”

***

         “Alright! Leonardo and (Y/n) you two are up! You ready?” Jamison beamed while walking to sit beside David on the piano bench. 

         “As I’ll ever be,” The turtle muttered as he stood and walked towards the girl, being sure to keep his sheet music close to him.

         “You can still back out, you know, if you want.” (Y/n) said with a smile, once again, allowing his comfort to take the lead.

         Leonardo simply shrugged. “It’s just one song right? I just hope I don't burst your eardrums.”

         “I’m sure you’ll do great,” (Y/n) cooed as she placed a hand on his cheek for a fleeting moment, before looking at David with a nod. “Let's do this thing.”

‘         Til the moment I found you

         I thought I knew what love was

         Now I'm learning what is true

         That love will do what it does

         Leonardo waited anxiously for (Y/n) to finish her part, trying to distract his nerves with the beauty that was the girl’s singing voice. Sure, he had heard her sing both on the stage and casually around the house, but this was different. (Y/n) was singing while giving him her undivided attention. The words she recited went straight to his heart, and though he knew it wasn’t actually her, it was a character. Even so, it felt like the words were her own, and that feeling helped motivate him as he began his verse of the song. 

         An angel come to save me

         Who didn't even know she gave me

         Something to believe in

         For even a day

         One day may be forever

         But that's okay

         That's okay

         Everyone present smiled widely at Leonardo’s singing. He was in no way a trained singer, but he definitely had some natural talent. Not only that, but the pure emotion he was putting into the words made this singing that much better. It felt true. (Y/n) could even feel the blush forming on her cheeks as she imagined what it could be like for the turtle to say such things to her outside of their musically confided context.

         Do you know what I believe in?

         Look into my eyes and see

         “If things were different.” Leonardo sighed with a goofy smile on his face. It felt weird reading from a script, but the musical trio was right. He was having fun.

         Marching his energy, (y/n) giggled as she received her lines from memory. “If you weren’t going to Santa Fe?”

         “And if you weren’t an heiress.” the turtle read before poking the girl’s nose. “And if your father wasn’t after my head.”

         “You're not really scared of my father are you?” (Y/n) asked as she raised a hand to Leonardo’s cheek.

         Leaning into her touch, he replied. “No, but I am pretty scared of you.” 

         “Don’t be.” she giggled then nodded towards Leonardo to sing the next part.

         And if I’m gone tomorrow!

         What was ours still will be

         Unconsciously the singers stepped together, eye contact never breaking, causing their audience to smile while sharing a knowing look. The couple was unorthodox, they’d admit, but damn if they didn’t look like the most devoted pair in this moment. 

         “$20 they kiss,” Jaimeson whispered in David’s ear, happy that the piano masked his words.

         I have something to believe in

         Now that I know you believed in me!

         When their song ended, Leonardo and (y/n) both leaned in. David anxiously grabbed Jamison’s leg in anticipation. They were really going to do it, he thought, eyes never leaving the seemingly slow-motion actions of the pair in front of them. Suddenly the two met in the middle, only it wasn’t their lips that touched, but their foreheads. The men watching them both audibly groaned in disappointment causing the others to step away from each other to look at them.

         “You two ok?” (y/n) asked.

         “Yeah,” Jamison groaned as he stood just enough to fish his wallet out of his back pocket. “You just lost me 20 bucks though.”

         (Y/n) and Leonardo exchanged a quick glance before simultaneously responding. “Sorry?” 

         Laughter erupted, filling the room with joy. This moment felt like perfection, then was made even more so when the chime of the doorbell echoed through the apartment. Instantly all three boys cheered. The pizza was here. Of course, this reaction caused (y/n) to laugh harder. It refused to subside as she opened the door and gave the delivery boy his tip while struggling for breath. The poor teen gave the woman a concerned look before quickly retreating, an action which resulted in only more laughter. 

         There was nothing that could ruin this moment, the group decided as they all finally calmed enough to plate up pizza and eat together in the kitchen. Their final hour together was filled with stories, jokes, and spouts of poorly sung show tunes. When the meal finally ended, Jamison and David took their leave, giving (y/n) a hug and Leonardo a friendly punch to the shoulder or first bump. With the pair gone, (Y/n) and her pet exchanged a sweet smile then moved to clean up. 

         With the house back to square one, they both wandered to the living room where they practically collapsed beside each other on the couch. (y/n) pulled her legs up under herself as she reached for the remote, quickly turning the television to her favorite cartoon channel where Space Heroes was currently playing. With a content hum she leaned back shoulder bumping against Leonardo’s.

         “Your friends are really nice,” Leonardo suddenly said, making the girl giggle. 

         “Yeah they are,” she responded. “I’m glad you came to hang out with us. Usually when it’s just the three of us together I'm forced to suffer through the boy's lovelorn looks at each other while mentally screaming for them to just make a move already.”

         Her turtle laughed at her complaining before looking her way with a knowing smile. “They were doing that even with me there.”

         “You're not wrong. The real issue is that David loves Jamison but is too afraid to act on it since he thinks Jamie would never like him back, while Jamison is somehow convinced that Davy is straight so he will never make the first move.” The girl huffed a bit at her own explanation before leaning into her turtle’s side. “When I ultimately fall in love, I hope that it isn’t nearly as confusing as it is for those two.”

         “May the odds be in your favor.” Leonardo responded while stretching, letting his arm settle across (Y/n)’s shoulders when it landed.

         “Have you ever been in love, Francoeur?” (Y/n) asked while readjusting herself to become comfortable against his plastron. 

         “In love?” The turtle hummed. “No, but I did have a crush on this girl once. She tried to kill me and yet strangely, my feelings didn't go away until I found out she was actually my stepsister. The whole thing was a bit of a mess.” 

         “How Star Wars of you.” the girl mused with a teasing grin.

“Ha! No kidding.” The turtle laughed as he explained. “How about you, Finch? ”

         (y/n) sat up slightly at the question, her head tilting to look at him. “Finch?”

         “It’s a nickname, a type of songbird.” He nervously explained. “I won’t use it if…”

         “No-no! I love it! I just didn't expect it.” She quickly responded, cuddling closer to the turtle’s shell as if to prove that there was no discontent. “Anyway, no. I’ve never been in love. I’ve always been so much younger than my peers, so I guess I just never found the right conditions. Honestly, when I do fall in love, I probably won’t even realize for a while.”

         Leonardo laughed loudly while reaching over with his free hand to poke (y/n)’s nose. “How dense of you.”

         “Oh, shut up.” (Y/n) laughed as she leaned her head against his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of Leonardo’s arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Chapter Text

          She didn’t remember falling asleep, but (y/n) did know that she was waking up against the hardest pillow she had ever used. Her face wrinkled with discomfort as she began to roll around, attempting to readjust. Unfortunately, the more she moved the more she realized it wasn’t just her pillow that was hard, it was her whole bed. Did I fall out of the bed? She asked herself as she attempted to move once more only to be met with imminent resistance when a set of strong arms wrapped around her.

          A rough morning voice then echoed in her ears. “Stop moving. More sleeping.”

          (y/n)’s eyes opened in an instant when she heard the voice. Scanning her surrounding area, the girl quickly realized that she was laying on top of Leonardo, a majority of her body now pressed tightly against his shell as her pet held her close. The girl attempted to look up, but only saw the underside of his face, but even then she could tell that he was more than comfortable, lounging across their couch with her.

          Allowing herself to relax against him, (Y/n) took a settling breath. 

          She liked this. She liked how it felt to lay with him. She liked how comfortable she was. She liked how comfortable Leonardo was. If you would have told her that they would end up falling asleep while cuddling when her turtle was first gifted to her, (Y/n) probably would have laughed, and yet here they were. Having a perfect moment to start their day.

          As perfect as it was, (y/n) couldn't fall back asleep. Her father always said she was a morning bird, and most days when she woke with the sun the girl simply used the time to get in a workout. Based upon the heavy turtle arm wrapped around her, (y/n) was pretty sure that that was not going to happen this time. Not that she minded really. A day of rest was important besides, his chest was hard, but growing more and more comfortable as she latched onto the rhythmic sound of his heart beating. 

          So, instead of attempting to get out of Leonardo’s grip, the girl settled in closer and began to think over the day.

          It was Thursday, she noted, laundry day. She would need to pick a dress for tomorrow. Black was probably the right choice, after all, the boys usually went with black on showcase nights. Maybe she should call them? She at least needed to practice the songs. Jamsion would kill her if she doesn’t. They’ll practice again when they arrive on Friday. Early arrival on Friday. She’ll miss dinner with Francoeur. Plan dinner for the turtle. Wait, they haven’t even eaten this morning. Plan breakfast for today. 

          She looked up at her turtle once again. Maybe he had an opinion on breakfast this morning. Usually, they just had leftovers or cereal. The boys had annihilated the pizza she had bought last night however, so leftovers were off the table, and (y/n) was sick of frosted flakes. She knows how to cook. Hell she’d been cooking three meals a day since her father died, so anything he may want she was sure she could manage.

          “Francoeur,” she whispered to him. “Do you want some breakfast?” 

          Leonardo groaned above her but did little more. He either passed out again or just ignored her. Either way. She needed to move before she got stir crazy or just too hungry. So she tired again, this time banging her forehead against his shell.

          “Come on, we can’t lay here all day.” The girl complained before lifting her head again to watch his face as she gently prodded at his cheekbones.

          “Why not.” He finally muttered back.

          “Because it’s laundry day for one,” she laughed. “But also because I'm hungry.”

          Her turtle let out a short grunt,“So?”

          This was getting her nowhere, she thought while rolling around in his grip so that their chests pressed together. She needed to get him up, and if he wasn’t going to be food motivated then she would be. So with a smirk (y/n) slowly began to wiggle herself up his shell as she gave her ultimatum. 

          “So, if you don’t let me make us food then I'll have to have turtle soup.” (Y/n) taunted before pushing herself up his body just enough to give her leverage to bite his shoulder.

          That earned her a yelp, and in an instant Her turtle was sitting up straight, his arms now cradling around her, with one hand on the back of her neck trying to pry the girl off of him. It was too late, she was latched on, and if Francoeur was anything like Davy, she would have to stay that way until she heard two full sentences or else he would go back to sleep. Of course, She usually got David’s wrists, this was a whole new ball game. (Y/n) had gotten a shoulder and she needed to not lose it and her pet’s shell suddenly pushed against her throat as he thrashed around. 

          “Ow! Fuck! Finch!” Leonardo shouted and he continued to pull against her, trying to get her off without hurting her. “Did you lock your jaw? What the hell?”

          One full sentence down, (Y/n) thought as she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist to give herself better leverage. She bit down harder and grabbed the sides of Leonardo’s shell to go against her pet’s pulling.

          The turtle was now fully away, pulling his legs criss-cross under him his hands moved to (y/n)’s waist. “I’m awake now! It’ll make you a different breakfast, just stop biting me!”

          “Okay!” (Y/n) suddenly chirped, leaning back in Leonardo's lap to look up at him with a smile while wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand. “Do you know how to make french toast?”

          Leonardo stared at her blankly for a moment. “Jesus christ Finch, All of that for french toast? ”

          "Yep,” she smiled while popping her ‘p’ before looking at the now significant bite mark on his shoulder. “Oo, that might take a while to heal.”

          That comment earned her a glare before Leonardo lightly slapped her thigh. “Get up, if you want food.” 

          In an instant the girl was on her feet waiting patiently for her pet to stand. He was hesitating however, and tried to urge the girl forward with a flicker of his eyes. (Y/n) wasn’t going to risk it though. If she was too careful Leonardo would just lay back down and go back ot sleep. She was wrong of course, but it didn’t quel her suspicion. So instead of obeying his unspoken command to move on to the kitchen, the girl simply crossed her arms and waved for the turtle to go first. 

          To her surprise, Leonardo not only hesitated again, but his face tinted pink. He really didn’t want to go first, but it was quickly looking like he had no choice. Stealing a breath, he chose to simply bite the bullet and walk fast. It was his only chance. 

          In a flash, he was on his feet and speed walking to the kitchen, but it wasn’t fast enough. No, (y/n) saw it. Something she had never noticed before. A tail was peeking out from under Leonardo’s shell. 

          “Woah! You have a tail?!” She explained without thinking.

          “Don’t look at it!” Leonardo shouted in response as he began walking faster.

          “Oh gosh it looks like it’s swollen,” (y/n) pointed out as soon as she realized that the base of the newly discovered appendage seemed to have swelled up. “Is that from sleeping on the couch or did I miss an injury?”

          If possible, her turtle’s face gor reader, as he turned behind the island and pushed hte back of his body into the corner of the cabinets. “Nothing’s wrong! Just stop staring.” 

          “But does it hurt? Are you ok?” His owner then asked, her concern evident.

          “I’m fine just…” He resusred before searching for something, anything he could use to get her to go away and not stop thinking about this situation. “Why don’t you go shower and I’ll make french toast and we will forget my tail exists, ok?”

          (Y/n) hesitated, but she could read the room enough to know that she should probably move on. “Um…okay… as long as you're all good.”

          “All good. Now go you freaking snapper.” 

          In response (Y/n) dramatically bites at the air with a growl and a snap of her teeth. Luckily, Leonardo was able to push past his sudden on set embarrassment enough to roll his eyes and smile. He then waved the girl away and watched her close herself into the bathroom before finally lowering his posture. Only one thought went through his mind. She had got to read some of her dad’s textbooks. His attention then went to his swollen tail making his groan. Ignore it and it’ll go away. Always does. 

***

          When (Y/n) finished her however, and reemerged in a pair of jeans a new hoodie Leonarod had nearly finished there food. He had in fact managed to make french toast. While it was a little burned, you would think the girl couldn’t tell. After all, Her eyes lit up at the sight of her powdered sugar-covered breakfast. That amazing look quickly shifted towards her pet who was busying himself with washing the pan he had used. 

          The feeling of her eyes on him, made Leonardo look up towards the girl and smile. There were no words exchanged and (Y/n) approached. Reaching for a plate she realized a happy squeal before cutting into a slice of toast with ehr fork. As she walked towards the kitchen island, she took a bite and hummed constantly. This breakfast was everything she wanted and more.

          Leonardo couldn’t help but chuckle as he dried his hands before leaning on the counter to take his own bite of food. He'll admit it, he did a pretty good job with this breakfast, but he didn't think it was good enough to earn him (y/n)’s reaction. The girl was excitedly eating her meal complete with happy hums and subtle moans. Part of him thought that she was going all of this for the show, but still it made him proud. So he focused on eating his plate of food, silently soaking in his owner’s enjoyment.

          “Since I feel kinda bad about biting you, I won't make you help with laundry today.” (y/n) started between bites of her breakfast. “I’ll also have to practice at some point so Jamison doesn’t decide homicide is a good idea. Will you be all good on your own today?”

          Leonardo snorted a bit at the question. “You ask that, as if you aren’t going to be in the other room.” 

          (Y/n) gave him a lopsided smile. “Come off it, I'm trying to be a responsible pet owner here. Which requires keeping my shockingly handsome, anthropomorphic, ninja turtle busy during the day.”

          “And forgetting to feed me yesterday wasn’t a problem at all.” He smirked.

          “Hey! You got dinner didn’t you! And you picked it out.” The girl argued, a pout suddenly appearing on her lips.

          Laughing loudly Leonardo placed his plate in the sink before approaching (Y/n). He placed a gentle hand on her head, before letting his fingers all through her wet hair. The girl in question attempted to keep her overly dramatic pout, but struggled when the urge to lean into his touch won over. Smiling, the turtle pet her head once again before heading towards the living room. 

          “You're a great owner, Finch. I’m just teasing.” He called out to her. “I’m going to watch Clone Wars. Join me when you're done.” 

***

          It was during this fifth episode of the day that something finally managed to capture his attention. Something outside the large windows of the penthouse. For a moment, Leonardo thought he had seen a flash of green run past, and that was all it took for him to shoot to his feet and rush towards the bay window. Looking through the glass he scanned the skyline for something, anything, that would prove he hadn’t imagined it. But there was nothing to be found. His brother’s weren't coming. 

          As if his heart weighed him down, the turtle landed on the bench of the window and continued to stare out at the buildings. The three of them didn’t stand a chance. They couldn’t check every building for him, and there was zero indication that this building was even owned by Shredder. Hell, he didn’t even know if it was, he only knew the two penthouses were. Even if one of his brothers, let's be honest here, even if Donnie managed to figure out that Shredder did own this property, why would they think to look here. This wasn't a high security prison. It was the apartment of a twenty year old girl. 

          A really wonderful twenty year old girl, Leonardo thought to himself as he headed against the window. He wanted to go home, back to his family, but he didn't want to leave (y/n). Not alone in his apartment, especially not alone with the assholes she has to work with. Sure she’d have David and Jamison, but clearly they hadn’t done much about their other co-workers. If he left, who would protect her? She can protect herself, his brian tired to argue, flashing memories of their sparring and her black belt, but it wasn’t enough to fully comfort him. 

          In the end he came to one conclusion. 

          Leonardo wanted to go home, but he wanted to take (y/n) with him. 

          His mind started to nag at him, spiraling him into places he knew he couldn’t go. Leonardo was a notorious pesamiss, something that had only gotten worse as he got older, and would often think himself into darker places then he should. The worst part was, he could tell when he was doing it to himself, but he couldn’t stop it. Usually it was his youngest brother, Michelangelo, who noticed his spiraling and broke him out of it, but he wasn’t here. There was no one to distract his mind, he conceived himself, until suddenly the stroud of sock clad feet approaching him caught his attention. 

          Turning his head, Leonardo saw (Y/n) standing a few feet away with a worried look on her face. She had never seen him look so dejected since he first arrived. It was the same expression he had in the car when she first met him. It made her stomach sink anxiously.  

          “Are you ok Francoeur?” (Y/n) asked as she approached the turtle, sitting on the window ledge beside him.

          “Yeah,” he sighed. “I’m just… missing my family is all.”

          “Oh…” 

          One word. It was all she could think of to say. Leonardo didn’t read much into it, assuming that she simply wasn’t exacting that respnoes, but (y/n) mind instantly started racing. A trait she had had since she was little was an overactive mind. Whenever there was anything causing a problem the girl would instantly go to fix it. The unfortunate truth of it all, was that her mind often moved faster than she could interpret. So (y/n) would force herself to pick up the few words she could.

          Leonardo is missing his family so he should go home to see this family. Of course if he went home he couldn't come back, that would be stupid and dangerous. She works for his enemy after all. How did he become an enemy of the mafia? Wait, that doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting him back to his family. He’s in tip top position, with the exception of that bite mark but that was from her and would heal, and definitely wouldn't affect his ability to get home. No, they just needed to get him out without alerting anyone. 

          Luckily it was just them and the cameras. Crap, the cameras. How are they by pasting the camera? Well last time she checked there were no audio bugs, and her phone is on her own plan. Mr. Okoru has nothing to do with that. MAybe they could just call them? Wait, do turtles have phones? Is his family even more turtles? Doesn’t matter. All that matters is if they have phones.  

          “Do…” (y/n) started, her mind scrambling to decipher the half-baked plan it was beginning to formulate. “Do your brothers have a phone? Like one mine could connect to.”

          Leonardo tilted his head in confusion as he responded. “Yeah? Why?”

          That was all she needed, (Y/n) noted. If they had phones that she could contact they could simply text or call Leonardo’s family and let them know where he is. OF course, she couldn't just hand it off. No. The cameras would pick up on that, and (Y/n) didn’t think of what they could lead to. 

          She might not know much about that’s going on or why the japanese mafia was fighting ninja turtles, but she knew that the instant that Mr. Okoru gifted her Leonardo she was mixed in. From what Karai was saying, (Y/n)’s apartment was simply supposed to be a new prison for the turtle. As much as she tried to forget that, nothing the girl did could make that any less true. With that mind, she couldn’t just let Leonarod out the front door. She would be helping a prisoner escape. 

          That thought had Karai’s words ringing in her ear. A warning from when they first met. My father has never taken well to being disobeyed, the girl had warned her. No. She would have to be subtle about this. She would have to make sure whatever they did to get Leonardo out looked as if it was completely his own idea. It would be hard, but it was possible.

          So, reaching forward (y/n) grabbed one of Leonardo’s hands with both of her own. “I promise you Francoeur, I’ll help you get home.” 

          Leonardo could see the determined glow in her eyes, washing over any other emotion she could be trying to hide away. He knew there was more going on inside of her head, but he didn't want to pry. Instead he placed his other hand on top of (y/n)’s. He tried to show her his thanks without using words, relying on the unspoken understanding of each other they had begun to develop. Understanding, (Y/n) leaned forward to place their foreheads together.

          “I promise,” She said again, this time in a whisper. 

***

          The plan was simple. (Y/n) would accidentally ‘forget’ her phone on the charger when she leaves for work tomorrow night. After a while, Leonardo would ‘stumble upon it’ and use the device to text his brothers. The message would be simple. Who is messaging, that he’s okay, and where he is. Of course, he would also add in a message to not respond. After the text is sent, he’ll delete it and hide any evidence that he used the phone at all.

          With this plan, to the cameras and whoever it is that monitors them, it’ll look as if Leonardo simply took an opportunity that arose from (Y/n)’s own error. There will be no proof that it was planned. If all goes as planned, Leonardo would be home before (y/n) even got home from work. 

          At that realization, any excitement caused by their plan faded. If he would be leaving while she was gone, they wouldn’t get a proper goodbye. He would just be gone. 

          The thought made (y/n) queasy. 

          She didn’t want to lose her pet, moreover, she didn’t want to lose her friend. In their short time together Leonardo had managed to cement himself in her life. When he leaves, there will be a turtle shaped hole left behind. Even so, she wouldn’t do anything about it, she couldn’t. After all, Leonardo was never supposed to be a pet. He was his own person, with a family who he misses, and no doubt misses him in return. Who was (Y/n) to keep him away from them. 

          When Friday finally came, the pair went about their day with a silent tension hanging in the air. Even though they knew it was their last day together, they had no idea what to do with their time. They spent their day in each other’s space, sparing quick glances and little touches whenever they could as if it would somehow create a comfort, but nothing helped. Nothing could shake the feeling of the inevitable.

          By four o’clock, (Y/n) was dressed in her black performance dress, strapping on her heels as her phone rested idlily on her side table. She tried her hardest to not look at it. She needed to forget it was there. (y/n) had taken the time early in the day to disable her password and even went through all of the inner systems to make sure there wasn’t any sort of bug or hacking that would flag Leonardo’s text. Everything was clear, so their plan should go on without a hitch.

          Her queasiness returned mixed in with a hint of shame. (Y/n) was ashamed of herself for wanting the plan to fail. She was just being selfish and that wasn’t right. Leonardo wasn’t hers to keep. 

          With that thought she stood from the bed and squared her shoulders. It was now or never. Leaving the bedroom she tried to act as if it was a normal friday. She forced herself not to look for her pet, and instead walk straight to the door, calling out her goodbyes as she moved. When her hand made contact with the knob however, the girl couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, only to see Leonardo leaning against the door frame into the living room. 

          “Goodnight Francoeur, I’ll be home at my usual time.” 

          “Do great tonight Finch.” He responded with a strained smile.

          Before she let (y/n) turned back around and ran into her pet’s arms, giving him the tightest more loved filled hug she could manage. She had no idea how long it could take for his brothers to come get him, and worried they would waste no time. Feeling her fear and desperation, Leonardo returned the embrace with just as much force. When they finally let go, their eye contact refused to break until the front door demanded it with its closing. 

Chapter Text

            Raphael heard a rattling noise from the kitchen in the middle of the night. Usually, his first instinct at such a thing was panic. Someone had broken in, his mind would assume, but he knew better at this point. Even so, he pulled himself out of bed with a groan to investigate. Trudging through the dark hall the red clad reptile followed the only light towards his younger brother, Donatello’s, lab. 

            As silently as possible he pushed over the door to find his little brother asleep at his desk, the faint beeping of a GPS signal echoing through the room. He had been working so hard lately, pushing himself to the brink, with little luck. Even so, Raphael knew he couldn’t tell Donatello to stop. They both wanted the answers he was searching for. Signing the older turtle closed the door and walked to the kitchen. 

            Standing in the light of the open freezer was his youngest brother, Michelangelo. He was talking to their pet ice cream cat in a hushed voice. Only the faintest whispers could be heard from where Raphael was, but he was pretty sure he knew what it was about. After all, Michelangelo had been having nightmares since the fire, and before that came restless nights. He was emotionally driven, so it was no surprise that losing their eldest sibling was making things hard for him.

            “Mikey,” Raphael finally started causing the younger turtle to jump and unceremoniously shut the freezer door. “You really need to get some sleep.”

            It took a moment before Michelangelo responded, and when he did he hung his head. “I know that. It’s just hard.”

            That was an understatement and they both knew it. Getting some sleep was more than just hard, it was becoming near impossible. When Leonardo was first captured, the whole family along with their friends April and Casey stayed awake for nearly three days straight trying to track him down. Sleep only came when they started to pass out. After a while, especially after they located Leonardo’s first prison, it got easier. The brothers were able to rest, knowing that if they did they could work harder to get their oldest brother home. When their mission failed however, and they lost Leonardo once again, the ability to sleep went with it. Hard, just didn’t cover the feeling anymore.

            “I know man, but we're not going to be able to find him if you're falling asleep where you stand.” He was trying to keep his tone gentile, but it was a struggle when Raphael knew that he was having just as hard of a time getting a good night’s sleep as his younger brother. “Just try to get some rest.”

            “Right.” Michelangelo signed before standing a bit straighter to walk back to his bedroom. “Goodnight Raph.”

            “Night and be quiet when you pass the lab. Donnie passed out.”

            Raphael watched as his little brother trudged down the hallway before leaning against his palm on the kitchen island himself. It had taken two hours for him to fall asleep the first time, how was he going to manage it again? Part of him was tempted to go above ground for another quick patrol, after all, not many people were out on Thursday nights so he should manage ok. 

            No. Not without the others. 

            At this point, Raphael had begun scrambling. Finally, after six years of gripping, he was finally understanding why the oldest of them all was chosen to be the leader. Just this short period of responsibility was driving him crazy. He couldn’t act on a whim, he had to consider the others with his every step, his every breath almost. One small move and they’d be hurt, and it would be on his shoulders. This time had also provided him with a pivotal piece of understanding. He now knew why Leonardo did what he had all those weeks ago. 

            It started like all of their patrols had recently. Following Donnie around the city as he used his tracker to try and find more of the lost mutagen. An overly repetitive task that  needed to be done. After all, it was their fault that all of the ooze was scattered in the first place. What was strange about their hunt that night was that the canister that they were following seemed to be moving. It was as if every time they were a few feet away, the vile would suddenly relocate halfway across town. It had been three hours of this nonsense and now, all four of the brothers were at their wits end. 

            “That is!” Raphael started, “If we don’t find this canister in the next five minutes I think we should just ditch it. What’s one canister anyway?”

            “One canister of ridiculously potent radioactive material? Oh yes, what could possibly go wrong.” Leonardo responded sarcastically.

            Michelangelo, clearly missing his older brother’s tone, began to count on his fingers. “Well one canister mutagen us and Master Splinter, and one for Mr. O’Neil, and it only took one for…”

            “He was being sarcastic Mikey,” Raphael groaned.

            “But he makes a good point,” Leonardo countered. “One vial could make all the difference in the world besides it’s not like the mutagen has legs.” 

            The three turtles who were arguing then turned to their final brother, who was busy studying his tracker with a confused expression. At first the thought of this particular can of mutagen actually having legs flashed into their minds before quickly fading away. Donatello would have had some kind of commentary if that was the case. Instead, they all started at the second youngest, waiting for some kind of explanation. 

            Feeling his brother’s eyes, the purple clad turtle looked up from his device with a curious hum. “It’s strange. The mutagen hasn’t moved. It should be right here but clearly. It isn’t.”

            “That’s where you're wrong, Donatello.” A new voice suddenly jumped in causing all four turtles to turn and draw their weapons. 

            It was a voice they knew all too well, for it belonged to a long-time enemy. Karai. 

            By now they had already learned some very interesting new information about the girl. Specifically, that she was their father’s long-lost daughter. Leonardo was the first one known. Master Splinter had trusted him with the information, his brothers teased that it was simply to help shake away their eldest brother’s lingering feelings for the girl. Not long after, the others were filled in. Which only made moments like this more conflicting. 

            This was their sister, whether she believed them for not. And yet. She was trying to kill them, surrounded by at least four dozen robotic members of the foot clan that she called Footbots. They had been the bane of the turtle’s existents since they were engineered. The Footbots have special programming that helps them learn the moves that were used against them. So as the boys continued to fight through, the fight would become harder. Karai revealed in this, 

            “Footbots, attack the orange one.” Karai commanded with a smirk. 

            That was an unexpected move. She rarely targeted just one of the turtles, and it was NEVER Michelangelo. The youngest turtle’s eyes widened as he was suddenly swarmed. His brothers instantly went to help, but as happened so often against the Footbots they quickly became out matched.  

            “Karai stops!” Leonardo shouted over the chaos making everyone freeze as he hardened a glare. “If you want to make this a one versus all challenge, then you're going to have to go against me.”

            “That sounds doable,” Karai smirked. “Footbots, capture their leader.” 

            In an instant the robotic ninja turtles their attention from the youngest turtle to the oldest. It only took a second for them to swarm, and Leonardo began to fight desperately while his brothers stood at the ready. Obedient as can be, no robots came their way. Every single one focused on Leonardo. It didn’t take long for the sheer number of ninjas to overpower them, and before they could blink the turtles saw their eldest brother unarmed and on his knee.

            Without hesitation, they went to attack but their brother glared at them. “Don’t.”

            “Leo, what are you doing?” Donatello shouted as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

            “Raphael, get Donnie and Mikey out of here.” Leonardo commanded.

            Raphael attempted to argue, “You can’t be serious! We can’t just leave you.” 

            “I said, Go!”

            Hesitantly his brothers obeyed and from the window, they could hear the final command.

            “Take him to my father,” Karai said with a laugh. “I want to show him my new trophy.” 

***

            The next evening, all three brothers trudged their way through training running on adrenaline alone. It was evident that they had hardly slept, but their father could say little. They had been working all day in search for their brother and had just recently returned for a short patrol. Their father, who was a giant mutated rat, was in no better condition. He too had been trapped in his mind all day and night worrying about their missing family member, and ultimately coming to a near damming conclusion. 

            Splinter, the turtle’s father and sensei, had been attempting to put off the announcement of his decision. It was unlikely that his other sons would take it well, but it was the only option left. Splinter had debated with himself for weeks, meditating on his options. His heart ached, but it was what was right. With a sigh, he ended training and waited for his sons to sit on their kneels before him, waiting for his final notes.

            “My sons. I know this has been a trying time for all of us, but I have given this much thought.” Master Splinter began as he paused in front of his children. “We must pause our search for Leonardo in favor of finding the lost mutagen.”

            The room erupted. The boys began shouting over one another. Arguing for Leonardo’s sake. Between the plea, were hints of outrage. How dare their father do this? How could he think this was right? Abandoning one of his sons and forces the others to do the same. How could they possibly agree to that? Remain obedient as they had been taught for twenty years. It was madness.

            “Boys!” Splinter shouted, “It has been over a month, and we have gotten nowhere. I do not want to give up hope, but there are innocent people at risk with the mutagen missing.” 

            Raphael was the first to argue. “But Leo’s life is at risk.”

            “He’s right Sensei, who knows where Shredder is keeping him. What could be happening to him? If we wait too long he could get seriously hurt or worse.” Donatello added, hoping to help their father see sense. 

            Little did they know, their father had seldom slept since his eldest child went missing. As his other sons fell asleep, Splinter would leave their lair for his own search. During the day he meditated, hoping to feel Leonardo’s energy, but always came up with nothing. That’s what concerned him the most. Of course, his abilities are far from perfect, but it was very rare for him to not sense when his sons were in danger. But for the past few weeks, he had felt nothing. It tore his heart in two to assume the worst, but it was all he could do at this point. There was no sign of Leonardo, and he was taken by the Shredder a month ago. All he could do was assume that the worst had already happened.

            With a sigh he turned away from his son to say his final word on the matter. “I know none of us wish to think this way, but it is likely that the Shredder has already done away with Leonardo.”

            The silence that came was deafening. Splinter knew he had effectively stripped the hope away from his sons, and it pained him, but it needed to be done. He wasn’t even surprised when he heard Raphael rise and storm out of the dojo, slamming the doors behind him. 

            “Our training is done for the day.”

            Their father’s voice was solemn as we turned on his heel and slowly retreated from the dojo to his bedroom. When they were alone the younger two turtles didn’t move. They felt as if they couldn’t. The father’s decision sent shock waves through them, as he effective torn away any hope they had left for their older brother’s return.

            It was rare when Donatello felt as if he needed to step up, as an older brother. In this moment however, he knew it was his place. So, with a breath, he tried to still his own emotions as he turned to look at his younger. He had turned just in time to see a silent tear roll the scales of his brother’s cheek. Not knowing what else to do, spicily since an attempt at words would only cause him to cry as well. Being ninjas certainly didn’t make them heartless.

            So, without a word, Donatello reached for his younger brother and hulled him in for a hug. It lingered longer than any other hug in their lives, but it needed to. After all, from the looks of things, tehri brother was dead. They took the time they needed before finally deciding to follow their older brother to the living room. The pair wasn’t surprised to see the red clad turtle pacing angrily.

            He was mid rant, so his younger ones simply sat nearby the couch, listening to him go on and on about how splinter was giving up hope and how awful it all was. They wanted to say something to agree, but they couldn’t. After all, the two of them had nearly lost hope as well. It didn’t stop him from rant though, and almost seemed like nothing would. That was until Michelangelo interrupted him. 

            “Leo’s dead…” The youngest turtle finally spoke, breaking the silence.

            “No Mikey he isn’t.” The red clad turtle growled as he continued to pass the living room.

            “How do you know that?” Michelangelo replied, his throat getting tight. “Even Splinter thinks he’s gone.”

            “I just do!” Raphael shouted,  “And I'm not going to stop searching for him. No matter what Splinter says.”

            His younger brother looked at him hesitantly for a moment before nodding. They weren’t ready to give up just yet, and as much as they hated going against their father, this was for the best. If they stopped, Leonardo would be dead. They still had a chance. Even if slim, of finding him and their brother actually being alive. They hold onto the twisted hope that if Shredder was torturing their brother, he was demented enough to keep Leonardo hanging onto life as long as possible. As awful as it would be for their older brother to be suffering like that, it gave them the one thing they needed. Time. 

            Raphael continued his ranting, undeterred by his brothers’ solemnness. He was determined to prove his point, even if he was just rambling in circles at this point. 

            When Donatello’s phone pinged, he was grateful. Anything to distract himself from Raphael’s looped hysterical speech. While there was nothing his older brother was anything that the purple clad turtle particularly disagreed with, there was literally nothing that ranting about it would do. So, with a sigh he picked up his T-phone expecting a text form April, only to be surprised to see an unknown number attempting to reach out.

            Curious, the turtle clicked on the message only for his eyes to widen. 

            Donnie, it’s me Leo. I know it sounds weird but, Shredder gave me to one of his performers as a pet. I’m being kept in her apartment. Top floor of Happen Tower downtown. She forgot her phone when she went to work tonight. Do not respond to this text, I’m going to delete it after I send so that she doesn’t find out. 

            Before he could process what he had read a second text came in.

As proof that this is me, when we were six years old we convinced Mikey that his shell would fall off if he fell out of bed, so he handcuffed himself to his bed frame and got stuck there for twelve hours. 

“Oh my god,” he muttered before looking back towards his brothers, holding his phone in the air. “I know where Leo is!”

***

            It was done, but Leonardo was still struggling to calm his heart. The message was sent, his brothers would most likely be rushing out of the lair to get here as soon as possible, so why was he so nervous. That is a rhetorical thought at best. Leonardo knew exactly why he was nervous. He had waited far too long to work up the nerve to actually reach out to his family and now the tiny numbers in the upper corner of the phone screen reminded him of that mistake. It was already half past eleven. (Y/n) would be home any minute.

            Of course, there was comfort in this. Knowing that they’d have one last chance to say their goodbyes and attempt to tie up any loose ends they may be laying around, but it also meant that when his brothers did arrive they would come face to face with his captor. Not that she would attempt to fight them, but it was likely that she would instantly be labeled as an enemy. Worse yet, an enemy who had been keeping Leonardo hostage all this time. His brothers wouldn’t hesitate to attack. 

            She was now in danger, and it was all Leonardo’s fault. So why the hell did he wait so long? If he had simply sent the message an hour ago there would be no issue. He’s had eight hours to decide on what to say, who to send the message to, and when to send it, and yet he waited until the literal last minute. All because he couldn’t get his mind to stop yelling at him. That, and because when he saw (Y/n)’s phone lock screen image his heart felt as if it was being torn from his chest. 

            God she looked so happy. He looked so happy. At the time of that picture, they were. It was their only photo together, a lazily taken selfie hat (Y/n) had taken for a snapchat message to Jamison. It was from last night, the two of them laying together on the couch smiling as they looked away from their movies just long enough to capture the image. The text she sent permanently branding in a gray line across their chests. ‘We’re glad you're home safe <3’ she had written to him after opening Jamison’s original snap letting the pair know he had made it across town to his apartment without a hitch. 

            It was taken just over twenty-four hours ago, and (Y/n) had already moved it to her lock screen. The one location where she was guaranteed to look at its multiple times of day. It was the place of honor Casey held on April’s phone, and Ice Cream Kitty on Mikey’s. A borderline boyfriend, a beloved pet, and him. Of course, when Leonardo first saw the image four hours ago during his first attempt to send his escape note he began to wonder. It (Y/n) was he a Casey or an Ice Cream Kitty?

            That dangerous loop of thoughts kept him busy for over two hours. Mentally he began to organize every single moment they had shared to find out just where he landed in (y/n)’s mind. This went on until he released an irritated huff and fell back onto her bed, unfortunately tweaking his neck in the process. Out of instinct he went to rub the join of his neck and shoulder, only for his fingers to graze the indentations (Y/n)’s teeth had left earlier that morning.

            Leonardo couldn’t help but chuckle. In highlight, the moment was kind of hilarious. (y/n) has inadvertently followed through with the first two sets of the mating process while trying to wake him up. When he sat up and looked in the mirror he laughed again, knowing that at least one of his brothers would confuse the bite as a mating mark. How ridiculous will he sound when he has to explain that (y/n) simply chose to bite him when he didn’t wake up, after tapping at his cheeks. No doubt they would understand the alternative meaning that the girl missed. 

            Did she miss it? Leonardo’s mind taunted, she wouldn’t really be interested in something like that with me, right? The turtle quickly forced that thought away. He still couldn’t decide if this girl saw him as a pet or person, the idea of adding in the third option of a potential partner, sexual or otherwise, would no doubt lead him down another spiral. And it did just that, distracting him for yet another hour. 

            When (Y/n)’s alarm clock read 10:45 Leonardo knew he needed to make up his mind now. So, he picked up (y/n)'s cell phone and carefully input the password she had told him, trying his hardest to ignore the lock screen image. To his relief, her background was different. An image of Her, David, Jamison, and Karai. (y/n) was on Karai’s back with David leaning against them making finger guns. In the foreground, Jamison stood laughing, arm extending off screen to where he no doubt held his phone out to capture the moment. 

            The picture surprised Leonardo, but in a different way than the background. To be specific it was the girls who surprised him in this image. He had never seen Karai so casual or so happy, yet there she was laughing out loud as she wrapped her arms under (Y/n)’s thighs. The girl on her back was holding her close, her chest pressed against Karai’s back creating the perfect arch for David to lounge against.

            After meeting the boys, they seemed like an odd pair for Karai to associate with. They were energetic and kind, and quite well, goofy. To Leonardo, Karai had always been a serious person. She was driven, and focused. Then again, he had really only ever interacted with her during battle, a time where any other personality could be detrimental. There was no saying how she was when she was with friends, acting like a twenty-two-year-old girl should. Once again, Leonardo felt himself spiraling, he needed to focus, he needed to send this text before it was too late. So, at 11:15 he finally began inputting the first number he could think of, and sending a message to Donatello.

            With each letter his heart pounded. When it was written the feeling began worse, and all the turtles could do was stare. This was it. If he sent this text, he could be home by morning. Then again, if he backed out now, this could become his home. This luxurious penthouse with a beautiful young girl. There was always food, always water, always company. A nice warm bed was available to him as well as hours upon hours of entertainment. He’d want nothing.

            Except for his family. 

            Leonardo knew that no matter how wonderful staying with (Y/n) could be, he wouldn’t last. Not without the others. He missed his brother more than anything. He’d give anything to see his father. Leonardo wasn’t meant to be in captivity, luxurious or otherwise. So, with one final breath to steady his hand, he hit send and made quick work of the next message. 

            He gave himself a minute to simply stare at two chat bubbles in another empty channel and was left with a new dilemma. Would he actually delete them from her phone, leaving no trace of his words behind, or would he let them live on. Deleting them was the plan. The one (Y/n) made, the one he told his brother. Leaving them however, kept him connected to her. If he chose to leave the text stream, (Y/n) could reach out if she wanted to. She could text Donatello, asking for him. He could message her back, make sure she’s ok. But then again, what if someone else saw the stream. Someone from her work. A piece of scum like Ito would undoubtedly take pride in turning her over to shredder, using the messages to damn the girl. 

            He couldn’t do that to her, Leonardo decided, and quickly deleted the messages and closed her phone. The evidence was gone, and the waiting game began. Waiting to see who would make it to the apartment first. Would the trains be running on time tonight, making it so (y/n) could easily stroll into the living room in a few moments. Would his brothers already be topside, rushing uptown in his direction.

            His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the answer as he heard the apartment’s front door open and shut followed by the gentile clicking of heels. (Y/n) made it first. He listened to her travel from room to room before the clicking suddenly stopped. The apartment was silent just long enough to make him tense. Then, without warning the license was broken. 

            (Y/n)’s voice was shaking as she called out, “Francoeur?”

            Leonardo was certain his heart stopped. She was looking for him. So, rather than simply calling back like he would have any other day, the turtle chose to rise from the bed and walk toward the hallway. Standing just outside of the bedroom bathed in light seeping from the room, he looked toward the door when (Y/n) waited. Her hands were held close to chest, the black of her dress mixed with the sadness of her face made it look as if the girl had come from a funeral. She remained silent as they started, her eyes saying more than her voice ever could as they first swam with confusion before melting into relief. 

            Clearing his voice, Leonardo knew he needed to speak. “Welcome home, Finch.”

            “Your home,” (Y/n) practically sighed, making Leonardo look at the ground.

            “They’re on their way.” He responded simply.

            (Y/n) chose to nod before making her way towards the turtle. As soon as she was close enough, the girl reached out and took his hand in hers. Without a word, she guided him back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Somehow, this felt more private than the hallway, even though they were no more alone than before. All it took was one final look in her eyes for Leonardo to understand. Staring up at him, the girl was silently begging for this moment to be theirs. Just theirs. After all, it would be their final moments together, and they both knew it.

Chapter Text

         No good day at work ever started with a co-worker looking you dead in the eye and asking, ‘are you high or having a mental breakdown?’ of course, this is exactly what David asked (y/n) when she walked through the front doors of Tsuki no Hana eyes locked on the floor. She hadn't lifted her head since she left her apartment. It felt too heavy. Like her thoughts were weighing her down. On The street, on the subway, even now, standing in the main ball room all she could think about was how empty her apartment would feel when she arrived back home. 

         It was the right choice, she reminded herself, Leonardo deserved to be with his family. He was never supposed to be a house pet. Of course, that thought only brought a new one to her mind. Was Leonardo ever really a house pet? The answer came shockingly fast, of course not. Leonardo wasn’t a pet. He never was. He was always something more. What that something was, worried her.

(Y/n) really worried about bonding with the people around her. Sure, she knew that friendships and eventually relationships would be something she could experience but it was hard to understand. After all, she skipped a grade for the first time when she was three, jumping over four-year preschool to kindergarten. She made it to third, only for her state test scores to move her up to sixth. They wanted her to move up again when she made it to high school. Graduated in two years, but she already felt like an outcast. Being eleven and going to high school made her weird enough.

         No one wanted to be friends with the child prodigy unless she agreed to do their homework. When’s he was fifteen, in her senior year, she learned very fast that no one wanted to date a nerdy girl. It was ingrained so intently in her mind that in college she didn’t try. Then she went to work, and working with a thirty-five-year-old man who flirts nonstop didn’t leave a good taste in her mouth. 

         Looking at the big picture the first real option for her romance wise was David. Not that they didn't try, but after a month of dating and their first time sleeping together, he came out to her in a tearful confession. Confidence went to an all-time low as she questioned how she was so bad at everything that it turned someone gay, until she realized that that wasn’t how sexuality worked. Even so, she figured love wasn’t worth trying for. She ignored the idea, so when the bubbling of emotions appears in her stomach while caring Leonardo’s wounds, she ignored it. 

         Her heart hurt. She ignored it too long, and now he was leaving her. Forever. But he doesn’t belong to me! Her mind screamed. With a groan she pushed the heels of her hands against her eyes. The actions caused David and Jamison, who were watching her trudge to incessantly exchange a concerned glance. 

         Under his breath David muttered. “Damn, didn’t think she was actually having a breakdown.”

         “She looks like she just got dumped.” Jamison whispered back.

         “She doesn’t have a boyfriend she just has…” David began before the realization finally hit him.

         Without any hesitation the young man jumped from the stand and rushed to his friend. Gripping he shoulders, he forced (Y/n) to look up at him. When she did, his heart broke. It was obvious that she had been crying. 

         “Is Leonardo ok?” He asked calmly, pulling her close when instead of an answer fresh tear appeared in her eyes. “Okay, easier question. Did anyone die?”

         “No.” She whimpered into his shoulder.

         The man smiled as he carefully ran a hand through her hair. “Then we fix it.”  

         We can fix it. That was always David’s problem whenever anything happened. At first it was used mainly when they broke a vase or a microwave caught on fire, or an oven caught on fire, or a coffee machine caught on fire. (David is no longer allowed to cook for himself without supervision). Lately it has been used in a more social context. She made the promise herself after David got on Jamison’s bad side. (Jealousy took over when the blond went on a date with Pinocchio’s understudy back when he was in Shrek the musical). Of  course, every time in the past one promised that they could fix a problem, the problem was ultimately solved. Super glue worked vase’s, baking soda on stove tops, and apology cookies with friends. But nothing could keep Leonardo with her, at least not with filling her with guilt. Pushing away, (Y/n) forced a quick smile before stepping out of her friend’s arms.

         “Look, I appreciate that, but…we can’t fix this.” She sadly admitted as she made her way to the stage and reached up. Taking his cue, Jaimeson grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her on to the stage beside him. “I could use the distraction though, so let's rehearse then get ready for tonight ok?”

         Her words rushed towards her partner’s ears desperate for interpretation. She needed them to understand her tone, and her desire to not have them push it today. Luckily, they understood. The boys shared a silent glance followed by a nod. Something was wrong, their eyes communicated, but now wasn’t the time. They could figure it out either after the show or tomorrow, but not tonight, not when whatever was wrong was still fresh.

         (y/n) instantly began warming up with vocal trills while twisting the ends of her hair between her fingers. If it wasn’t for her red rimmed eyes you could almost think that everything was as it should be. The girl was even slightly twisting her hips, just enough to make the skirt of her black midi-length dress to swirl around her calves. (Y/n) looked beautiful, and completely at ease. It was…jarring really. How the air around her could change on the dime. The boys had just watched her walk in, eyes on the floor, on the brink of tears, and now, she looked almost peaceful. Almost as if she has tucked her problems away in the back of her mind to worry about later.

         Which is exactly what she  had done. (Y/n) knew she had no time to sulk. She was at work. It was time to focus and be the perfect performer she was paid to be. So, she pushed her problems to the side for now, and tried her damndest to not think about the turtle who wouldn’t be waiting for her at home. Eventually, David joined the others on stage, jumping Ing up with unnecessary flare, before walking up to (y/n) and raising his hand on the small of her back. 

         With a stained smile, David spoke. “You heard the woman. Let's do this!”

***

         Rehearsal rushed by, as did the beginning of the show. The club was packed, every chair was full, the walls were lined with people, and based upon the applause so far, everyone had been enjoying it. They open the set with It Only Takes a Taste sung by Jamison and (Y/n). Jamie then took the stage for his solo, singing Build a Wall so well that Brian D’Arcy James should be jealous. The leading lady returned to the stage to sing with David, their favorite song and dance. It was a special duet arrangement of Together Wherever You Go, from Gypsy. She stayed close, to sing support vocals for David’s solo, Wonderful. 

         Finally, Jamison joined the pair on the stage once again to sing their group number, the same one they practiced proudly at her apartment, She Loves Me Not. When the applause for the number finally faded, (Y/n) curtsied before taking her leave, allowing the boys to banter while annoying their duet. When the back track to What You Own began, (y/n) smiled from the wings. The boys always did great when they sang from Rent . Hell, they always did great when they sang together in general, their tones simply blended well. It was so easy to get sucked in. It was the perfect distraction from everything else going on within her head, creating a protective bubble around her. 

         The problem with bubbles is that they unfortunately pop, very very easily. The delicate surface of (Y/n) personal world quivered when she heard someone approach, but it only shattered when someone suddenly touched her. No… someone groped her. A hand landed on her ass, squeezing it as if they owned her. In a sentient her bubble shattered, and with it her peace. 

         “Move the hand or lose the hand.” The girl grumbled, knowing that her assailant had to be one of two walking cease pools as Leonardo calls them.

         “Now, now, there's no reason to talk so mean.” Fa. It was Fa who decided to grope her. 

         Nope, she thought, that was the wrong response. Throwing any concern or desire of self-preservation out the window (y/n) grabbed the man's wrist in a death grip and began to fling him around like a rag doll. She spun on her heel, twisting his arm with her and pressing it painfully against his back. Feeling as if that still wasn’t enough, she rushed them towards the nearest wall and slammed him against it. Fa hardly had enough time to turn his head, the only thing that saved him from a broken nose.

         “Listen you pitiful excuse of a man.” (y/n) hissed. “I might put up with your bullshit most of the time, but you picked the wrong fucking night.”

         “Get off my you crazy bitch.” Fa all but shouted causing (Y/n) to pull his body back just enough to slam him against the wall for a second time.

         “Shut your damn mouth.” She was keeping her voice low, thankful for the heavy drums of the boy’s back track. “If you try to touch me again I will break your fucking arm. Then you’ll scream and ruin my show. If you ruin my show. You learn just how capable I am of taking care of myself. Do I make myself clear?”

         Fa hesitated at first, grumbling under his breath. As if testing if she was serious the man chose to squirm and try to get away. In response (y/n) simply shoved his arm up further making the man release a pitiful moan. Driven by anger, the sound made the girl smirk, and she was tempted to push his arm further. Would it really be that bad to break his arm? She asked herself before the angel on her shoulder stepped in. You’re better than this. It reminded her, just in time for Fa to respond.

         The man attempted to make himself sound tough when he replied “Crystal.”

         “Good,” (Y/n) cooed before forcing Fa away from the wall and all but throwing him to the floor towards the dressing rooms. “Now fuck off.”

         Time was on her side, for as soon as the man scrambled away, the audience began to applaud. The boys had finished their song, and it was time for her solo to end the show. Filled with a new pride, that overrode her negative emotions and distracted her from her most likely empty apartment, (Y/n) managed to force a confident smile as she strutted to the stage and prepared to sing her heart out.

***

         “Great job beautiful girl!” David praised and he wrapped his arms around (y/n) shoulder as she stood in her dressing room brushing out her hair. “That was one of our best shows ever! Everyone loved it!” 

         “Yeah,” she smiled. “They did.”

         It wasn’t a lie. They had a huge crowd cheering them on song after song. Not ever her run in with Fa could overpower the pride she felt while in that spotlight. It certainly did its job well. Afterall, it wasn’t until she was alone in her dressing room pulling out bobby pins from her strategically twisted curls, that she remembered what was waiting at home, or rather, who wasn’t waiting for her anymore. 

         The clock on the wall read 10:35, her shift had ended a mere five minutes ago, and if she rushed she could make it across town by eleven. But did she really want to rush? OR was it better to prolong the enviable. No. definitely not that option. With a heavy sigh she leaned into David’s touch, trying to find some sort of comfort in his arms, but it was almost too hard to grasp.

         “I think I’m ready to go home.” (y/n) laughed sadly. “You have no idea the mental strain this day has had.” 

         “I can kinda tell.” David muttered, before meeting her eyes in the reflection of the mirror. His concern was evident as it had been most of the night. Every moment they had he was looking back at her with a gentle gaze, prompting her to open up, reminding her that he cares. “What’s going on inside that big brain of yours?”

         She hesitated for a moment, while lovingly griping David’s wrist. “I’m just struggling to accept that even though it hurts, I made the right choice.”

         That's a good summary , she thought to herself. It hurt, but it was right. Keeping Leonardo would have been wrong. Deep down she knew that ultimately, keeping her pet, keeping her friend, wouldn’t have made her feel better. In the end the guilt would consume her. 

         Humming in her ear David tilted his head, “What choice was that…”

         “I let…” (y/n) stopped herself. She couldn’t say it. If she did she would cry and there wasn’t time for that. Not here at least. “I’ll tell you tomorrow… once it sets in more.” 

         David knew he wanted to press her more but decided against it. Instead, he gave her another quick hug and a kiss on the head before wishing her a goodnight, promising not to be too far behind her. With a smile, she bid him ado, and finished tending to her hair. Once detangled the girl grabbed her back and went to leave. Much to her dismay, (Y/n) only made it halfway down the hall when she was stopped once again. 

         “Hey (y/n) wait!” At least it was Jamison, she thought before turning to him with another forced smile. “David said you're leaving already. You sure you don’t want to stay for some drinks?”

         “Thanks, but no thanks, I really just want to go to bed.” (Y/n) said with a laugh hoping she sounded convincing. 

         “Alright, as long as you're taking care of yourself,” Jamison smiled sweetly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. (y/n) returned the expression and prepared to leave only for the blonde to suddenly stiffen. “Wait!”

         His hand scrambled towards his back pocket, fitting for a moment, before he pulled a wrinkled white envelope out. Jamison then held the letter out for (Y/n) who grabbed it with a confused expression. “It’s for Leonardo, a little gift is all. He’s a good guy.”

         “Yeah,” she whispered, fingers gliding over a crease on the envelope. “He deserves the world.” 

         Jamison hummed thoughtfully before chuckling. “Living with you, he already has it.”  

***

         The trip home took a little longer than usual, but not by much. She made the train just fine but stopped at every intersection to wait for a walk sign. On a normal night, she's probably risking it. Sprinting through New York traffic at night, hoping she didn’t get hit, but tonight, she wasn’t in a rush to get back. When she finally did make it to the top floor of their apartment building however, she forced herself not to linger. 

         One deep breath later, she entered the apartment only to find it pristine. A sliver of hope wiggled its way into her mind. No mess, must mean, not break in. Leonardo could still be here. Moving fast, she went from room to room, checking all of the turtle’s favorite places to lounge while she’s away. After finding an empty kitchen, dining, office and living room, she used her final ounce of hope to speak.

         (Y/n)’s voice was shaking as she called out, “Francoeur?”

         Clearing his voice, Leonardo knew he needed to speak. “Welcome home, Finch.”

         “Your home,” (Y/n) practically sighed, making Leonardo look at the ground.

         “They’re on their way.” He responded simply, making her heart sing.

         (Y/n) nodded  before making her way towards the turtle. As soon as she was close enough, she reached out and took his hand in hers. Without a word, she guided him back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. They stood in silence for a few moments before (Y/n) finally turned and stood wither back towards Leonardo. 

         “Will you…” She was hesitating, it was a strange ask, and she knew it, but (y/n) wanted something, anything, that would keep them close together. “Will you help me change?”

         Leonardo’s whole body stiffened at the request. “Are you sure?”

         Once again, the only reason was a nod, this time, with the addition of her pulling her hair out of the way of her zipper. The turtle was frozen in place as he processed what was going on. Prior to (Y/n) he had never spent this much time alone with a girl, let alone seen one naked, and now there was a girl who already caused his mind and heart to run rapid circles of confusion around each other, asking him to help her change. He wasn’t sure what force it was that finally got him to move, but eventually Leonardo reached out and pinched the tiny zipper pull between his fingers. 

         With a shaky breath, he pulled down on the zipper slowly exposing her back. In an instant, (Y/n) moved her arms to hold the fabric against her chest while she waited for a signal that the redress was fully undo. When he reached the end of the teeth, Leonard pressed the pull gentile against the small of (y/n)’s back before placing one hand flat between her shoulder blades.

         “Thank you,” The girl murmured before wandering towards the closet. 

         Carefully she pulled out some shorts and a t-shirt. For a moment she attempted to step into the shorts with her heels still on, and one hand holding her dress, but Leonardo quickly stepped in. In an instant he knelt on the floor in front of her, and began unbuckling her heels, pulling them from her feet one by one. The turtle then helped her step into the shorts and pulled them to her knees, leaving the rest for (y/n) to do one her own. After all, they had managed for create a new form of intimacy between the two of them. Sharing a moment so personal, in near silence. He didn’t want to ruin it. So, when (Y/n) reached down to fix her bottoms Leonardo quickly stood and backed away.

         They held eye contact for a few seconds after her shorts disappeared under her dress, before (Y/n) turned around and finally let her dress fall. Leonardo couldn’t help but stare at her bare back until the girl finally pulled the t-shirt on. Her head popped out from the top of her shirt, and Leonardo quickly moved to pull her hair out of the collar as well. He placed it against her back, he allowed himself the luxury of rubbing her shoulders before finally stepping away. A moment later, (y/n) turned to him, eyes on the look as she thought of her next request.

         “Can it…can I just…” Her mind was running, but she couldn't even ramble. Words just didn’t want to work. But Leonardo wasn’t a mind reader, she had to say something. “I want to just hold onto you. For as long as I can.” 

         “I’d like that…” Leonardo responded quickly, before carefully scooping her hands into his larger ones. “Come on Finch.”

         Silently he led her over to the bed and sat on the edge. (Y/n) just looked at him for a moment before indicating for him to scoot in further with her head. He opened, moving himself to the center of the bed, sitting up against the headboard while watching the girl curiously. Her eyes simply followed him for a moment before settling on his plastron, examining the rise and fall. She didn’t even know why, up she was drawn to his chest. 

         As if being pulled she approached him, crawling onto the bed, until she finally straddles his legs. Her eyes never left Leonardo’s chest while she settled. Eventually (Y/n) reached out her hand and placed it down. His shell was so thick that she could barely feel his heartbeat, but it was there. The proof that she wasn’t making this up, that this crazy month had been a reality, giant turtle included. 

         (Y/n)’s breath was shaky when she finally met her turtle’s eyes once again. Looked so patient. He wasn’t going to interfere with whatever it was she needed to do. Mentally, he had decided that the second his hands landed on the zipper of her dress. While unorthodox in comparison to other types of comfort he’s witnessed, this ritual of closeness was soothing (Y/n). And that's all that mattered to him. So, she leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He was quick to return the embrace, strong arms looping surly around her waist.

         For a moment they sat in simple silence. Their minds were racing beyond interpretation. Wanting to help in some way, Leonardo began to run his hand up and down (Y/n)’s back. She jumped at first but soon leaned into his touch, basking in its consistency. Feeling her relax in his arms, prompts the turtle to do the same, and before he knew it a low churr admitted from his chest. 

         “Why.” (y/n) whispered, tears finally falling.

         His haze suddenly faded as he felt tears land on his shoulder. “What?” Leonardo whispered.

         “You're churring.” the girl explained simply while pushing back against Leonardo’s shell to look him in the eye. “Turtles only churr when they relax or are happy. Why are you churring when you're going to leave me?”

         His heart panged at her words. He wasn’t happy because he was leaving. He was content being with her, more comfortable than he had ever been before. Besides, he couldn’t control when he churred, it just kinda happened. Still, she was staring at him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she waited for his answer. 

         “I…” Leonardo hesitated, “I’m just so comfortable here. With you, with me.” 

         (Y/n) seemed content enough with that answer, quickly leaning back in to hold Leonardo close to her again. It took a few moments, but eventually, the girl stopped heaving. Her breath began to circulate with the rhythm Leonardo created while rubbing her back. He grounded her in the only way he could.

         The silence was deafening. Talking had stopped, churing had stopped. Even (Y/n)’s sniffles had faded into nothingness, and it was beginning to drive Leonardo mad. He needed to break it somehow. In a way that would only provide comfort. That’s when he remembered her cellphone’s lock screen. They were happy then. Thursday. Just being themselves, together, having sung that duet. 

         That's when the idea hit him. Taking a breath, he attempted to recreate that moment in the office, while singing under his breath.

         “And if I’m gone tomorrow, what was ours still will be.” Leonardo sang against her hair. “I have something to believe in, now that I know you believed in me.” 

         Holding him closer, Y/n pushed down the inclement tears with a breath, she joined him. “Do you know what I believe in, look into my eyes and see.” 

         As if prompted by the lyrics Leonardo carefully gripped the girl’s head to guide her back just enough to look at her. What he saw made his chest tight. This girl whom he’d grown so close to, so fond of, was on the brink of tears at the idea of him leaving. But there was nothing he could do. He had spent all evening weighing his options, and he knew that leaving was the right choice, no matter how much his heart fought. 

         The turtle’s heart screamed out at him again, as if attempting one last plea to be obeyed. It wanted him to stay. It wanted him to hold her longer, tell (y/n) that he’d stay. In her life, in this apartment, just stay with her. He just couldn’t. His head reminded him. Leonardo knew he wasn’t made to be cooped up somewhere for the rest of his life. He needed freedom. Not only that, but he had a family outside of the confines of this penthouse. Little brothers who looked to him for guidance. A father who trusted him to take care of the family. Friends who loved him unconditionally. Could he really give all of that up for one girl that he’s known for less than a month? It was illogical. 

         “Please stay with me.” she whispered, tears finally escaping her eyes to run silently down her cheeks. 

         That was it. The one question with an answer to change everything. Leonardo’s heart pounded so aggressively he wondered if (y/n) could hear it. I will! I will! I will! It shouted at him, just barely peeking over the deafening ringing in his ears from his own mind. I can’t! I can’t! I can’t! It insisted. The conflict made his throat tighten, and the turtle feared that his own tears may start to fall. In order to hide them from (Y/n) he pulled her close once again. Her hands pressed against his shell, as her body shook. 

         Taking a deep breath, Leonardo said the only thing he could manage. “I’m sorry, Finch.”

         In an instant (Y/n)’s arms broke free from between their bodies and wrapped around his shoulders, giving her leverage to hide against his neck and she tried to contain herself. She felt childish, and weak. She desperately wanted to not cry, but she couldn’t stop herself. It felt like her heart was being torn from her chest. Why does it hurt so much? She asked herself. I knew he was going to leave. Knowing and accepting were two different things, the world aggressively reminded her. 

         There was nothing she could do, nothing she could say to change his mind, and (y/n) knew that. Of course, this only made it hurt more. So, she decided to simply make the most of whatever time they had left. Let it be hours, minutes. Anything. Tightening her grip, she pressed her body as close to Leonardo’s as she could. Her legs unfolded and wrapped around the back of his shell; his arms protectively coiled around her body. The pair had found themselves fully intertwined. Close to the point they feared that Leonardo’s shell would cut (y/n)’s thighs, but they didn’t care. Instead, they stayed that way, until they heard the shattering of glass followed by three heavy thuds. 

         His brothers were here.

Chapter Text

         For a moment, the only sound that (y/n) could hear was the pounding of her own heart. All the glass had fallen to the floor, and it seemed as if the intruders had yet to move. Leonardo’s grip on her tightened as they held their breath. What now? The pair wondered. Were they supposed to wait for his brothers to locate them in the bedroom, or simply confront the group head on. 

         (Y/n) had made up her mind. Wiggling herself free, she maneuvered to the edge of the bed. Before her bare feet could touch the ground, however, Leonardo reached out and grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from moving. Her head whipped around, and the pair proceeded to have a silent conversation. 

         Leonardo’s head shake and desperate eyes told her to stay, but (y/n)’s jutted chin the direction of the door let him know that she was going to go. His grip tightened, but the girl simply moved to pry his fingers away. Once free, she shot him a strained smile before silently stepping down. With light feet the girl moved to the door, and carefully opened it. 

         Peering out, she found the halfway clear, and entered herself, not nothing to shut the door behind her. As silently as she could, (Y/n) crept down the hall towards the living room. The temperature was steadily dropping as she approached. As soon as she turned the corner, (Y/n) gasped in a breath of air. All three of the windows were shattered, glass coated every surface, and yet the room was empty. 

         “What?” She whispered to herself as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

         She had heard them; the windows were broken. Francoeur brothers have to be here, she told herself. Not a moment later she heard a rush of air behind her. Whipping around she tried to catch movement, but instead only saw the light fixture in the hallway swaying ever so slightly. They are here.

         “Come out!” she commanded, attempting to sound sure of herself. “I know you're here.” 

         No response. Not even another rush of air. Just silence lingered, and yet (Y/n) could feel herself being watched. Goosebumps littered her arms as a cool breeze blew in from the shattered window. Everything felt eerie, like a scene from a horror movie. The girl could swear she was being watched, hunted some however, by an invisible source. Her stomach began to knot and she worried that nausea would soon set in. 

         Why are they doing this , she wondered, why are they hiding and not searching for their brother . She hadn’t even heard the doors opening. They must have found their place to hide and are sticking to it. (Y/n) wanted them, no, she needed them to do something. To end this psychological torture, they were forcing upon her as she once again looked around the room. 

         There was another rush of air. Suddenly and unexpected, blowing up against her back causing her spine to crawl. She knew in an instant that the creature of this wind had stopped directly behind her. She could feel his presence as the air grew dense. 

         Holding her breath she waited for his reaction, only to jump out of her skin when the intruder leaned over her shoulder to whisper a single word. “Boo.”   

         Turning as quickly as possible (y/n) clutched the front of her shirt as if it would still her racing heart. What she saw, however, only made it beat faster. The voice belonged to another mutant turtle. He was slightly shorter than Leonardo but had broader shoulders. His lips were pressed in a scroll as his eyes followed her, the green of them standing starkly against the red of his mask. He looked beyond pissed, and to make matters worse, in his hands he held two Sais.

         She swallowed thickly while trying to think of some way to react. Before she could, the turtle started to crowd her space, forcing her to move back. Her movements must not have been fast enough, since soon the turtle gripped her shoulder and charged forward until (y/n) was pinned against the wall of her hallway.  The impact forced a yelp out of her, a sound that was repeated as one of the Sais suddenly penetrated the wall beside her head.

         “Where. Is. He.” The turtle hissed, never moving his eyes away from the girl. 

         Adrenaline rushed thought (Y/n), and with few other options, she began patting on the wall. She knew the panic button was somewhere. It was an emergency alarm system that was installed in both her and David’s apartments. Karai had pointed it out to her when she first moved in. (Y/n) knew she couldn’t turn her head, such a large movement would no doubt lead to injury, so she continued her search blindly, never breaking eye contact with the red masked turtle. While she didn't want to necessarily pull an alarm on Leonardo’s brothers, she didn’t know what else to do. There was pure rage in his brother's eyes, and she was almost certain that if she didn’t do something he would kill her.

         “Where is he?” He hissed again.

         (Y/n) was ashamed to admit it, but she wanted to cry. She was just so scared of the turtle. She couldn’t have spoken if she wanted, since when the girl opened her mouth all that came out were pitiful squeaks. Her hand on the wall got louder, catching the turtle’s attention. Without warning, his other Sai came up and trapped her wrist between the prongs. Fear finally getting the best of her (y/n) released an ear-piercing scream as tears finally poured down her cheeks.

         The turtle pinning her jolted at her scream, which only grew louder as his two other brothers approached from behind him, eyes full of panic. Her scream faded into hysterical crying and not a moment later Leonardo’s voice cut through the tension, turning the group's attention to him in an instant. “Raphael! Stop!” 

         When she saw a familiar face (Y/n)’s crying quieted into scared whines. The three new turtles all turned to Leonardo and shouted his name. Rushing to his side they all hugged him, including the turtle who previously had (y/n) pinned. With the red turtle’s weight on longer against her, the girl’s knees gave out. Her mind was racing as her whole-body shook. She couldn’t even formulate full thoughts anymore, but she remembered her last one. Where is that damn panic button? With that thought in mind she lifted herself back up, eyes locking on the button that she must have been only a inch short of hitting, and without hesitation she lifted the protective cover to slam her hand on the alarm. 

         The alarm was loud and obnoxious as a house alarm should be. The emergency lights burst on, coating the room in red. All five present covered their ears out of instinct before the turtles turned to (Y/n). Her eyes widened at the attention as her fear once again compounded. 

         “She pulled an alarm!” The red turtle, Raphael, shouted as he rushed her, pinning the girl again, this time with his weapon to her neck, eyes shining with renewed anger.

         Desperately she gripped at the turtle's wrist. “Francoeur! Help me!”

         “Let her go!” Leonardo commanded, as he too rushed to his brother and began to pull on his shoulder. 

         With one strong pull Leonardo tore his brother away from Y/n. As Raphael stumbled back his older brother tucked (y/n) behind his back. Finally feeling the smallest bit of safety, the girl leaned forwards, pressing her forehead against Leonardo’s shell as she attempted to steady herself. Blindly, the oldest turtle reached behind him and placed one his hands against her (y/n)’s waist. It was a simple reminder that he is there, and that he would keep her steady. 

         He would have preferred to turn and embrace the girl, but Leonardo refuses to break eye contact with his brothers, for as happy as he is to see them, he will not allow them to hurt (y/n).

         Baffled by his older brother’s reaction, the red clad turtle shouted at him. “Are you kidding? She’s Foot!”

         “She’s not!” 

         “Guys! Alarm, foot soldier most likely incoming.” A new voice added, causing (Y/n) to swiftly turn her head the other way.

         Only a few feet away from the scene they were creating were the two other turtles. One in orange, and one in purple. They both had weapons, but they held them lax after being drawn in a panic due to the alarm. The pair had migrated just toward the living room but were still close enough to take action if needed. It was the purple turtle who attempted to interrupt, but it had little effect. Instead, the red turtle looked at his brother in disbelief.

         “What do you mean she’s not?”

         “You did say she worked for Shredder.” The purple turtle added.

         “She does just, not as a part of the foot clan.” Leonardo attempted to explain, being sure to make himself as big as possible to shield (Y/n) from his family. “She’s a singer.”

         “I’m not a soldier, I promise.” (y/n) pleaded, hoping that at least one of the brothers would believe her.

         “You kept him here.” the red turtle hissed.

         “I…” She had no argument. He was right. She did keep him here, and selfishly wanted to continually keep Leonardo in her apartment with her indefinitely, but she wasn’t going to. It wasn’t right. She needs these boys to understand that she knows that. So instead, she said a fact that would hopefully earn her the smallest amount of grace. “I would never hurt him. I swear.”

         Silence settles over the room as they all think about her words. The only sound was the blaring of the alarm which felt dulled under the weight of the situation. It was as tense as the brothers expected but for completely unforetold reasons. There wasn’t a big fight, or an epic break out. No, there was just their standard sibling squabble, with the new addition of a morally ambiguous crying girl who was clinging to their eldest brother. Stranger yet, she was being protected by the very brother they assumed she was keeping captive.

         Searching for anything to serve as evidence for or against the girl’s words, the turtles study their brother. What they found was…nothing. No scratches, or bruises. The only mark on their brother was a small yet prominent bite mark nestled in the join of his neck and shoulder. The younger two turtles exchanged a confused glance when they noticed the mark, before looking back at their older brothers.

         “Dudes, I think she’s telling the truth.” the final turtle, the one with the orange mask, stated.

         “Mikey, you can’t be serious.” Raphael argued.

         “I mean it man! I mean look, Leo’s not even hurt.” he argued before tilting his head a bit to the side. “Well, except for that mark on his neck.”

         “He’s right,” Leonardo responded quickly, tossing a soft gaze over his shoulder towards the girl who was pressing herself against his shell. “She helped me recover.”

         “You…” The purple clad turtle started as he leaned over just enough to look at the cowering girl. “Healed him?”

         “Of course,” (Y/n) replied breathlessly. Her eyes locking on the shell before her, fingers tracing one of the natural patterns on Leonardo’s carapace. “I care about him.”

         “None of this is her fault,” Leonardo spoke again with a sigh, attention turning back to his brothers. “She’s been helping me. So please, just don’t hurt her.”

         A second wave of silence washed over the room. They could tell from their older brother’s eyes that he was being serious, but they were surprised by the sheer amount of desperation that showed within them. He really wanted to keep this girl safe. What was so special about her? Had she done something to him during his stay? 

         (Y/n)’s hands flattened against Leonardo’s shell as she sighed. Hearing his defense of her filled her with a sense of calm. She was finally safe again, her mind decided as her heartbeat slowed. She allowed herself a few moments to simply enjoy the feeling and ignore the blaring fact that all of this would be over before she knew it. Then she would be alone. No turtle brothers, No Leonardo. Just her and the alarm.  Shaking her head leaned in, resting her forehead against the cool surface of her turtle’s shell. The calm persisted until a loud banging shook the apartment. 

         “(Y/n)! (Y/n)! What’s going on! Unlock the door!” That was David’s voice. He must have heard the alarms going off and was now trying to break down the door to get to his friend.

         Leonardo and (y/n) gasped in perfect synchronization. “David.” 

         “Let's get you home Leo.” The purple turtle prompted, “It’s been too long since you were home, and we’re starting to have company.”

         The brothers start towards the broken window, but Leo doesn't follow, his grip on (y/n) hip simply tightens as he is finally forced to face his dilemma. It was time to follow, time to go home, but would the lair really be home without (y/n) there with him? He didn’t know anymore. It had been too long since he felt the comfort of being with the family, but could he last without the comfort of this roommate. 

         With silent steps Leonardo turned to face the girl in question, his eyes soft with longing. She looked nervous. As if her anxieties were once again creeping under her skin. The girl’s hands were lifted, frozen in the locations they were previously against his shell, fingers curling in just slightly before she rushed to pull them in against her chest. Her eyes were searching his for something. Was it an explanation? A proposition? Or simply a goodbye? 

         “Francoeur?” her voice was meek, a very subtle tremble shaking her tone.

         The turtle’s expression softened even further as he reached out, cupping her cheek. Instantly the girl leaned into his touch. “Finch…It’s time to go.” 

         “Wait, there’s one last thing…” She suddenly said, body stiffening as she rushed towards the kitchen counter. In a single swipe, she slid the crinkled white envelope with Leonardo’s name on it off of the counter before returning to her turtle and holding it out for him to grab. “This is from Jamie. He… wanted you to have it.”

         Leonardo hesitated before grabbing the envelope and looking down at it. “Thank you.” 

         She hesitated as her fingers fell away from him. It took more effort than she wanted to admit taking a step backwards, holding herself tightly. Their privacy was gone, so she felt as if she no longer had the option to lunge into Leonardo’s arms. But how she wanted to. 

         “You know, you're one of the best friends I’ve ever had.” She sighed as she looked up at her pet, no, her friend for one last time. “Which is why I know I have to let you go. I can’t be selfish.”

         His mind raced, so many thoughts rushing past that it made him confused. So, Leonardo chose instant as he reached up to gently grab her face, and said the only thing he could come up with. “It’s ok to be selfish.”

         No, it wasn’t ok to be selfish.

         (Y/n) thought back to when she was only six years old, one of her final memories with her mother. Together they had dressed up as princesses. Fancy dresses and tiaras included. As they danced to piano renditions of Disney songs, played by her father, the pair recited what it took to be royal, as they so obviously were in this moment.

         “You are my princess.” Her mother hummed in her ear, as she picked up (Y/n) to twirl her in a circle. 

         “And you are the queen!” (y/n) cheered back. 

         the pair laughed together before shouting out their list of royal requirements. “We are Kind, we are Smart, we are Brave, we are Strong, we are Selfless, we are Royals!”

         The pair’s laughter continued to float through the room, even as the piano music came to an end. A moment later, (y/n)’s father approached, wrapping his arms around them both. He kissed his wife's lips before reaching out to correct his daughter’s tiara that had fallen crooked.

         “Always remember to be the little princess you are, my songbird.” He mothers whispered into her hair.

         Princesses were selfless. She had to be selfless, for her mom. She couldn’t keep him. and her eyes glistened with her decision. Leonardo’s thumb brushed against her cheek as he deciphered his gaze. It was now or never. Time To play his final card, his final plea.

         “Come with us, Finch.” his tone was desperate.

         (Y/n) wanted to melt at his words, her eyes hovering just above closed as she whispered. “ Francoeur .” 

         That name, a nickname, a pet name, was all it took to pull Leonardo closer to the girl. His free hand latched to her waist, dragging her body close enough that their chests brushed against each other. (Y/n)’s hands swiftly left their curled position between her breasts to lay flat against Leonardo’s plastron. It was faint,  but the girl could swear that she felt the turtle’s heart racing under her hands, pumping strong enough to force its way past the layers of muscle and bone. 

         Timidly, (y/n) looked up, catching Leonardo’s gaze, once against causing her to feel that pull. One of her hands slid to the edge of the turtle’s shell. Gentilly, she gripped it to use as leverage to lift onto her toes. At her action, Leonardo’s hand moved from her waist in favor of wrapping around her back, adding a second layer of support to balance the girl in front of him. All it would take is a single sway to connect their lips, but instead, the pair jumped as one of Leonardo’s brothers called out. 

         “Uh guys…” The orange clad turtle cut in. “Sorry to interrupt, but foot soldiers at two o’clock.” 

         Leonardo’s eyes widened at his brother's words. He glanced at (y/n) for one last desperate moment before finally letting her go and turning around. There wasn’t any more time for tearful goodbyes. If they didn’t move, (y/n) could be put into some serious danger. Like it or not, their time was up, and he had to get them out. Leo’s brother waited expectantly for orders, and he had no time to waste.

         With a stealing breath he gave the orders. “We need to go now and lead them away from here.” 

         “On it boss,” the red masked turtle responded with a smile. “Come on Mikey, let's cut them off.” 

         The red and orange turtles were quick to jump out the window in which they came as the other two ran after them. They however, stopped on the sill and turtles around to look at (y/n). Now abandoned in the hallway, the girl gripped her arms as she started. Leonardo still wanted to stay, but he knew he needed to go now. So, shaking his head, he gave the girl one final sad smile before leaping out the window himself. The purple turtle, however, didn’t follow. His hand rested on the window frame as he continued to study (y/n) silently. 

         “Thank you, for taking care of our brother.” He said simply.

         “Of course,” (y/n) responded with a forced smile. 

         The turtle nodded at her to end their conversation before he too jumped from the window leaving. As soon as he vanished, (Y/n) legs gave out. Falling to the floor she wrapped her arms tightly around herself and let herself cry. Her crying was loud, aggressive, and emotionally driven. All of her fear, all of her sadness, all of her heart break was being released at that moment. It was almost too much for her to bear. The world around her crumbled into nothingness. She could no longer hear the apartment’s security alarm or David’s banging. She didn’t even process that her door auto unlocked until she felt another set of arms wrap around her and pull her in. 

         As he pets her hair she hears David's voice over her mind's dull buzz. “I’m here. It’s ok. Help is coming. Where’s Leonardo?”

         His final question made (y/n) cry harder as she finally turned to grip his shirt and cry into David’s chest. She couldn’t have told him even if she wanted to. All she could bring herself to do was cry. 

         Meanwhile, two rooftops over, the turtles were taking on an army of foot soldiers. The fight was going by quickly. Leonardo wasted no time snatching swords from fallen enemies to use as his weapon, while his brothers skillfully distracted the droves from him. By the time Donatello had reunited with his family, only a half dozen soldiers remained. After months of fighting the same enemies, the turtles were masters of taking them down. 

         As the last soldier fell, Leonardo threw the swords to the ground before turning off his heel. Wandering to the edge of the roof, he crouched down and stared back towards (y/n)’s apartment. The main lights were on now, but they could still hear the alarm going off, even at this distance. David was looking around frequently, and the turtle could have sworn he heard the man shouting his name. After the third time he yelled (y/n) finally looked up and said something before crying harder and nuzzling her face against David’s chest. The man’s eyes widened at whatever she had said, but he didn't respond. He only held the girl closer to him and began to sway back and forth. 

         “Great way to get back into it, aye Leo?” Raphael asked his brother, only to find their leader distracted.

         Slowly, his brothers stood beside him and followed his gaze. The four of them saw (y/n) breaking down in the arms of her friend. It was hard to watch. She looked devastated, but they knew there wasn’t anything they could do about it. They were just there for their brother, and now it was time to go home. 

         “Come on guys, Splinter is waiting at home for us.”  Michelangelo urged before heading to the opposite end of the building and jumping down to the alley.

         Raphael was quick to follow, but Donatello and Leonardo hesitated. The purple clad turtle grabbed his older brother’s shoulder and shook him just enough to earn his gaze. He knew that look, and the feeling that Leonardo was no doubt experiencing. He dealt with it himself. Falling in love with a human happens fast and can be soul crushing. 

         “She’ll be ok,” Donatello told him. “She knows why you had to leave.”

         His brother took a deep breath, before looking into his eyes. “Does it ever stop hurting?”

         “I’ll tell you once I know…” he responded honestly. “For now, let's get you home. You’ve been away for too long.”

         Leonardo nodded at his younger brother and spared one finally look toward (y/n)’s apartment. A few more men had arrived, one was joining David to check on the girl’s state while the others were all assessing the damage. There really was nothing he could do now. So, he took a breath before finally running to the other end of the building to join his brothers on their journey back home to see their father once again, hoping that it would distract himself from just how much his heart hurt. 

End of Part One

Chapter Text

My one love affair didn't get anywhere from the start

To send me a Joe who had winter and snow in his heart

wasn't smart.

“I can’t ask you to feel the same way as me. I can’t expect you to give up everything, your work, your family, your safety. All of that is more important than I'll ever be. So I’ll step back. So you can be stronger.”

Chapter Text

            It had taken a week for Leonardo to start opening up to his family about his time as a prisoner. It took another two for him to tell any of them about this time with (y/n) outside of answering the occasional question. When he did decide to open up, the oldest turtle chose his father to speak too, feeling that he would be the most understanding. As if the man had known his son was finally ready, when Leonardo entered the dojo that afternoon, his father was sitting under the bonsai tree, a cup of tea in hand as another, freshly poured cup sat on the tray in front of him. 

            The older man looked up at his son when he entered with a subtle smile as he nodded his head to the extra cup. Leonardo nodded in response as he slid the doors shut behind him. Moving forward, he sat on his knees and grabbed the cup, taking a sip while his father patiently waited. The taste and warmth were something he missed. There was nothing that could compare to his father’s tea. Ever since he was little it was a source of comfort for him, yet strangely, over these past weeks where he was in most need of the comfort the drink provided, Leonardo never thought to request a cup. Perhaps he knew that if he asked his father for tea, he would be expected to talk. 

            He wondered as they sat in silence, if that was what the rat was waiting for. For Leo to take the first step and speak to him. It made the turtle question if he was actually ready for his. He still missed (y/n), more than he expected to, and it was starting to hurt. Of course, his own actions hadn’t been helping the situation much. Leonardo kept all of his loneliness tucked away inside of him, not allowing himself to feel it. After all, he shouldn’t be lonely. Not anymore. He was home. His father and brothers were here, keeping him busy, helping him adjust to normalcy. Casey and April had come down to visit a few times as well, telling him animated versions of everything he had missed while away. Leonardo wasn’t alone, he was almost never alone, and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling. 

            There were just things his brothers didn’t do that (y/n) did. No one woke him up with their singing, no one thumped their head against his shoulder until he chose something to watch on TV, no one danced in the kitchen while cooking, banging every cabinet in time with the music playing, no one cuddled up against him unprompted only to pout if his arm didn’t instantly drape across them. Not that he wanted these things from his family and friends, the opposite in fact. The selfish part of him never wanted to hear another person sing as they wandered the lair, or bicker with him about television shows. Those things were reserved to (y/n) and (y/n) alone. Maybe that's why he was so lonely. He missed the things that were here simply her, simply theirs. 

            He took another sip, hoping the tea would calm his racing mind, but it did little to help. It wasn’t until his father spoke that Leo’s mind stopped its dangerous cycle in favor of paying attention to the man.

            “How is your tea, my son?” his father asked simply. 

            Leonardo thought his eyes jumped from his head at the question. It was so far from anything he had expected, yet his father waited patiently with no reaction more than a quick flick of his ear. Silently the rat watched as his son opened and closed his mouth a few times before responding, his head tilted to the side just slightly.

            “It’s good?” His response was posed a question, something the turtle caught quickly and attempted to amend. “I mean great. Excellent even. It was just what I needed. Thank you.” 

            “I’m glad to hear that.”

            Another bout of silence settled between the pair as they continued to sip at their respective cups of tea. While it should have realized the turtle, it only made him confused. He wasn’t expecting that question. He was almost certain that his father would ask him about (y/n), or at the very least this capture as a whole. Why was he stalling? 

            Not wanting any further knots to form in his stomach from apprehension Leonardo finally broke, his cup knocking against the try as he set it down. “Wait, aren’t you going to ask me about…”

            “Your stay with the mysterious crying girl?” His father cut him off, taking a sip of his tea. Damnit Mikey, Leonardo thought when he heard the name his father had used for (y/n), that was a Mikey special if he ever heard it. The turtle didn't have enough time to get flustered, however, since as soon as his father’s cup was refilled the rat spoke again. “Yes….and no. I was hoping you would be the first to speak about it.” 

            “That’s actually why I came here this morning.”

            “I know,” his father hum as his expression became serious. “Do you still feel ready for this conversation?”

            “As I’ll ever be.” Leonardo sighed. “If you don’t mind, wait till the end to ask questions. I think that might make this easier.”

            At his words, Splinter nodded. His back straightened as he adjusted in preparation to listen to what his son had to say. The rat had been waiting patiently for this moment, ever since his son had arrived home. He had been watching Leonardo closely and could see that there was a part of him that had been left behind during his capture. Splinter was desperately trying to figure out what that something was. 

            He had his suspicions, if what his other sons had to say was anything to go by. 

            The other three boys had recounted the story of their older brother’s rescue soon after returning home. Leonardo, citing how tired the endeavor made him, was quick to retreat to bed after the reunion, leaving Splinter and his other son in the living room together. 

            All it took was a single look from their father for the boys to explain. Speaking in turn, they told Splinter how they found Happen tower and waited outside the window for the perfect opportunity to enter. The penthouse was dark, with the exception of the bedroom. With The curtains drawn they could only see shadows, but they were able to make out Leo’s form. When he moved, however, they saw another shadow, this one of a girl. Assuming that that had to be who was keeping him they knew they needed to make a new plan.

            They gave themselves a while to regroup, figuring that with both Leo and his capture now home, the time crunch was gone. After nearly a half hour later, they knew what they needed to do. Break in, get Leo, get out. If they were lucky they wouldn’t even have to interact with the person keeping him.

            Of course, when have the boys ever been lucky? 

            Their first mistake was nearly unavoidable. With a plan to come through the window, subtlety was not an option. They were hoping, however, that at the commotion, Leonardo would come find them, especially since he knew they were coming. When the girl appeared, cautiously surveying her home, they were unprepared. Rushing away, the boys hid in the shadows.

            She was nothing like they expected. This girl was no more than twenty, wearing shorts and an oversized hoodie, with red puffy eyes. She didn’t look like your traditional foot soldier. Donatello and Michelangelo admitted that her appearance made them hesitant, but Raphael was not deterred. Before long, he attacked and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to find his brother. 

            When he had the girl pinned however, Leonardo intervened. He began protecting his capture. The eldest had explained that the girl wasn’t an enemy, and instead had nursed him back to health. What shocked them even more was the fact that Leonardo had asked the girl to come with them. 

            “You know what was really crazy!” Michelangelo cut in excitedly. “Leo looked like he was about to kiss her before the foot showed up!”

            This caused everyone in the room to stiffen and stare at the youngest. This information shocked their father while his older brothers were planning on keeping that tidbit to themselves. Things only got worse when Michelangelo began to reenact the interaction.

            “Leo was all like ‘Come with us Finch,' and she was all like ‘Frank-er.’ or some weird French thing. And they got all close and touchy and then they learned in, and I was all like-”

            “That’s enough Mikey,” Donnie cut him off, trying to keep his tone calm. “The point is, whoever that girl is, she’s important to Leonardo, and honestly, she might have been the only reason he even survived after that fire.” 

            Raphael huffed. “I still don’t trust her.”

            “Perhaps, we shall see what Leonardo says on the matter.” Master splinter said simply. “But I have no doubt, if the pair were as involved as it sounds. Your brother will need time.”

            That was his final word on the matter, and it would appear that now, Leonardo had finally had all the time he needed. So, Splinter knew that he would do whatever was required for his son to feel comfortable with sharing this information with him. Including obeying his request and staying silent for the duration of his story. 

            “Thanks. Okay.” The turtle took one more steadying breath before he began to tell his story.

            “I had finally fallen asleep after days of just being awake and in pain, only to be woken up later in the night by Shredder himself. He wasn’t in his armor though. He was in a suit, and so were his cronies. Before I knew it, they had forced him out of my cell to a car. At the time I was still too weak to fight. The effects of the fire on top of my precious injuries, I honestly thought I was just going to die from it all. Part of me wondered if that was why I was being moved. So, Shredder could have a front row seat to me finally giving into my injuries and giving up, but instead he took me to the club. 

            “We went in through a side door into an office, before walking into the main ballroom. The lights were already low, they tied me to a chair next to shredder, at a table tucked in a back corner shrouded in shadow. He had really found the best spot in the club where he could see the stage with zero difficulty, but no one could see him. We sat in silence until the preference started. That's when I first saw her. (y/n), and her friend David, taking the stage to sing for everyone. 

            “At the time, I couldn't appreciate just how pretty she was. Not just her clothes and hair and everything, but her voice and her smile. Everything about her was, is, just beautiful. It didn’t make sense. Why did Shredder bring me here to watch her sing? I was so confused, until he finally turned to be between songs and asked me what I thought of her, because she was going to be my new owner.

            “Intently I assumed the worst. I figured that somehow this singer was some top-level member of the foot clan. That she was going to be the person to finally kill me. Of course, I realized that wasn’t true the second I saw her again. After the performance I was dragged back into the office where Shredder’s goons held me as we waited. Soon enough (Y/n) came in and she looked so scared. It was as if she thought she had done something wrong, and to make things worse, Shredder started chuckling at her, like he was getting off on her fear or something. That's what made me realize that she wasn’t a top-ranking soldier, just another one of his toys, who I was about to be given to. 

            “When she first saw me, she really was more shocked than scared, which was a relief. What was really shocking was how fast she took to taking care of me. Even as we left the office, she was arguing with the men who led us out about being mean to me. At her apartment she was so careful while leading me through the lobby and keeping me balanced without pressing on any wounds. Still, I was apprehensive about her, trying to figure out what the deal was. Why was she now responsible for me? Why was I given to her as a pet? It really made no sense.

            “She brought me inside of this huge penthouse apartment and led me to the couch. She turned on the TV for me and even offered to let me choose whatever I wanted. It was weird, being cared about after so long, even though it was something as small as having the option to choose a television show. (Y/n) then changed and when she came back I was even more confused. She had this big book on reptiles and looked up my breed, then started asking questions about what I eat before she made us salads. That was the best salad I think I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not sure if it was because I was so hungry, or because I was finally being treated like something worth being taken care of, but it was so good. 

            “Things only snowballed from there. (Y/n) gave me the master bedroom so that I could be the most comfortable, she let me add things to the shopping list of I had food I liked, she researched which medications could be used on me without causing harm, hell she even asked my permission before naming me because she felt bad calling me Turtle all the time.

            “She then named me after a character in her favorite movie. The character is also a mutant who everyone thought was terrifying from looking at him, but as the movie goes on you learn that he’s actually a really kindhearted creature and his friends do everything to protect him. Even after she learned my real name (Y/n) kept using the pet’s name, Francoeur, and I let her. I guess I just liked the name, or maybe I just liked that it was something she had given to me. I just don’t know.

            “Overtime, we just kept learning about each other, even more so when my throat got better. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the line something changed. She wasn’t just my owner anymore, or even just my friend, it was something different. Something I had never felt before about anymore. It freaked me out, if I was being honest. Not that any of that mattered, since before long, she realized just how much I was missing home and made a plan for me to get back here. 

            “She left her phone on purpose so I could contact you guys. It took an embarrassingly long time for me to work up the nerve to actually send that text, so we ended up with even more time together, just (y/n) and I. It was harder than I expected. I just held her, until the others showed up. Then she went out. When I heard her scream though, I was on my feet. I couldn’t let her get hurt. When it was all over, and I finally had to say goodbye, I asked her to come with us. She didn’t even tell me yes or no. We didn't have time. Footsoilders were showing up and we had to leave. So, I did. 

            “I can’t believe I left her like that. She was crying so hard. It looked like she was never going to recover. Worse yet, I wanted to do the exact same thing, and if it wasn’t for the others being there I probably would have. That's why as soon as everyone finished welcoming me back home I went to my room. I tucked away and just broke down. I just left her there…” With the story concluded Leonardo took a deep breath before narrowly peaking up to look at his father, as the man took a long sip of his tea. “That's it.”

            Master splinter waited a moment before he replied. “I am glad that you were living with someone who showed you such kindness at the end of your journey.” 

            “So am I.” Leonardo smiled as his eyes locked with the ground once more. “She was more than I could have ever asked for.”

            “It is alright to miss her.” His father said kindly. “Just as it is alright to love her the way you do. These are things we cannot control. What you can control is what you do about it.” 

            Love was always complicated, Splinter reminded himself, it would be even more complicated when it came to his sons. Being mutants, it would be nearly impossible for them to pursue a relationship in the traditional sense. Splinter knew he couldn’t tell him to take her on a lavish dinner date, or deliver gifts to her door, but then again, it wasn’t the same as his last son who fell in love. The man knew he wouldn't have to attempt to teach Leo to enjoy falling down. It appeared as if the feelings Leonardo had for this girl were returned. A subtle smile peaked on the rat’s cheeks, but he was quick to hide it behind a sip of tea. The solution was right in front of his nose.

            “For example.” Splinter muttered, his tone was still teasing as he continued, but like all things his father said, there was an undertone of seriousness. “What are you doing sitting around here talking to an old rat when you know exactly where this girl is?”

            The turtle blinked at his father, processing his words slowly. “You can’t be serious.”

            “I assure you I am.” Splinter’s teacup rattled slightly as he set it against the tray. “That song you’ve been singing to yourself since you've arrived home. It is Johanna is it not?”

            Leo’s mind was racing. He hadn’t realized he was singing out loud, let alone loud enough for others to hear. On top of that, why did his father know that song? It was just a random piece that Jamie gave to him in his letter, claiming that it was ‘perfect for his range’. Why did his father know it? Moreover, why did it matter? He looked back at his father, who was waiting for an answer and tried to make a proper response. “Yeah? How did you…”

            “Anthony did not get Johanna by doing nothing. Anthony, true to his word, stone her from where she was being kept.” splinter cut him off, voice becoming stern. He made sharp eye contact with his son and refused to break it, knowing he needed to get his point across. “Why are you not doing the same?”

            “Master Splinter you don’t understand. If I were to just break in and take Finch away there would be hell to pay.” Leonardo attempted to explain. He had been over this on his own more times than he wanted to count. “Even if they didn’t find us, no doubt that her friends would be punished.”

            “Then do not break in. Find a way to talk to her. Convince her to leave.”

            “But…”

            “No.” Splinter cut off his son again. “Do you or do you not want this girl in your life?”

            “I mean I do, but…”

            “Then go, make a plan and execute it.” He stared at his son for a moment before picking up his teacup once again and making himself comfortable, raising the cup to his lips. “And tell me before she arrives, I want our home to be presentable.” 

            With that Leonardo was ushered out of the room with a swing of his father’s paw. The turtle kept his wide eyes on the other man as he set his cup down and rose to his feet. He even went as far as to walk backwards towards the door. It wasn’t until he slipped out that a full thought finally formed in his mind, but even it was pitiful.

            “What just happened…” Leonardo muttered to himself as soon as he left the Dojo, one hand on his forehead attempting to rub away the crease’s confusion had formed. 

***

            After the discussion with his father, Leonardo began formulating a plan. Or at least attempting to.

            Truth be told, he was far too afraid of what would happen to Y/n if anything went wrong to ever make a complete plan of action. Instead, he resorted to following her every night and waiting outside David’s penthouse, where she was staying while her own apartment was being repaired, until she went to bed. Now stalking was far from his first plan, but after the first few days, and the relief that came from seeing her safe, Leo found himself almost addicted to the process.

            So now, on the first Friday watching her, Leonardo was sitting on an adjacent rooftop watching as Y/n reemerged from David’s guest bedroom, hair brushed, face makeup free, in a pair of fluffy looking pajama bottoms. He had followed her all of the way from the club to the Happen building. The whole walk she has silently listened to David ramble on about his latest attempt to ask about Jamison.

            Leo would admit that hearing that the brunette was finally moving forward on that front made him smile. As he heard David ramble, the turtle’s eyes kept darting back to Y/n, making note of the few times a soft smile peaked on her lips. It never lasted long, but it was something. 

            The turtle lost all sense of the conversation when the pair entered the building, so he settled in on his ledge to watch. He hummed to himself as Y/n grabbed a drink from the fridge, talking to David as she walked. The girl then settled on the couch, turned on the televisions and wrapped herself tightly in a throw blanket. He recognized that blanket as the one that usually lived on her own couch. She must have brought it over. 

            He smiled again. That blanket was stupid soft, and always smelt like her. Or it did. By the time he left, that banket smelt the both of them, which only made sense considering it was a favorite for them both. Silently he watches as Y/n lifted the blacked to her nose and took a deep breath. She looked content for a moment before her eyebrows pinched together as if she was thinking about something. She quickly shook her head then looked back at the television. 

            “I'll steal you, Johanna. I'll steal you.” Leonardo sang to himself as he watched Y/n wrap her blanket tighter around her shoulders. “Do they think that walls can hide you? Even now I'm at your window. I am in the dark beside you…”

            “Is that her name?” Someone suddenly asked, causing Leo to jump so harshly that he nearly fell off the edge of the rooftop.

            Scrambling he gripped the edge of the building to steady himself as his head quickly turned to see who was there. Much to his relief, it was one of his brothers, and the best option to catch I'm in such an intimate moment, Donatello. This was the first question Donnie had ever asked about the girl. He was the only one who kept any question or comments about the girl to himself. Leo wondered if it was because of their brief conversation the night he came home. Afterall, from that discussion, Donnie knew just how much Y/n meant to him. Moreover, the purple clad turtle knew what it was like to be kept at arm's length away from love for one reason or another. Even so, his older brother’s heart was beating uncontrollably from the scare as well as the shock that someone, anyone had actually managed to catch him off guard.

            “Donnie!” Leonardo basically shouted once he found his voice. “I… I didn't realize you were there.”

            His younger brother chuckled a bit as he approached, throwing his legs over the side of the building to sit on the roof beside Leo.“Yeah, I picked up on that when you jumped out of your shell.”

            “Sorry.” his older brother smiled sheepishly, turning his full attention to the purple clad turtle.  “What was that you asked?”

            “I asked if Johanna was her name, or is that just the song lyrics?”

            “Song lyrics.” Leonardo said simply, his head briefly turning back to glance at the girl in question, still watching television but now she had a mug of something, and David was next to her. She’s ok, his gaze landed back on his brother. “That song was what was in that letter she gave me from her friend.”

            Donnie, however, was now looking into the penthouse as well, eyes locked on the back of (y/n)’s head. “I didn’t realize you met any of her friends.”

            “Yeah, I did. David and Jamison.” The blue turtle explained, he too looked at the other building, his eyes however lingered on the large sheets of plastic that were hanging over the shattered windows of (y/n)’s apartment. He squinted slightly as if he’d be able to see through them and track the layout once more. “They sing with her at the club sometimes. Well David all the time, he’s her pianist, but Jamie is only sometimes. They came over for a rehearsal, and I met them. They even talked me into singing.”

            His brother chuckled as he looked at him with a teasing smile. “Wow, did their ears bleed?”        

            The pair laughed together at the joke before turning their attention back to Y/n. From the looks of it, David was telling her some sort of story. His expressions and gestures cover an ungodly range of emotions. Most of it was for flare, they concluded, especially once Y/n started laughing at his antics. In response to her laughter David’s face lit up. The man then began prodding at her cheeks until the girl shoved him away with a swift hand to the face.

            Good, she looks happy, Leo thought to himself. That's all he wanted for her. Happiness. Whether he was the cause was irrelevant in the end. Especially when he knew how quickly it could all go away. 

            When making the plan for his escape, the pair tried their hardest to make it all look like a coincidence. One mistake on her part that led to him getting away. Over and over again, Leo tried to think of places where their plan could have fallen through. His main concern was their interaction in the end. He protected her. The cameras had to have caught that. Leo just hoped that no one would think too hard about the tapes, because if they did…

            When Leonardo chose to speak again, his voice was hardly more than a whisper. “Do you think they’ll find out?”

            “Who?”

            “The foot clan.” Leonardo explained as he nervously looked at his brother. “Do you think they’ll find out that she helped me escape?”

            “I honestly have no idea.” Donatello admitted while returning his brother’s gaze. “Is that why you’ve come back here every single night since you got home?”

            He knew he wasn’t being slick when he slipped away from the team during patrols, but he didn’t realize where he was going was so obvious. Well, it really only was to Donnie, who had taken the task of covering for Leonardo without being asked. Over and over again the purple turtle told the others that Leo was just recovering from some deeper injuries. (Not a total lie, but Donatello was far from qualified to treat emotional damage.) 

            It was only after the second week that Donnie chose to follow him. That Friday night he watched as his oldest brother ran across town and waited outside of Tsukino Hana nightclub. The oldest turtle leaned against a fire escape until nearly midnight when Y/n left the club with David. Leonardo then followed the pair all the way to the subway entrance before racing across town once again just in time for the pair to exit the underground train. The trailing continued until he arrived back at the Happen building. Leo didn’t leave until he watched Y/n face plant onto the couch. Donatello could only assume that this was an everyday occurrence, and considering how his older brother looked away when it was mentioned he knew he was right. 

            “Partly…” Leonardo admitted. 

            Donatello sighed, usually he enjoyed being right, but in this instance it just made it ever clearer that he needed to push Leo towards a distraction.. Placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder he forced the other turtle’s attention to him. “Look Leo, we need our leader back, but if you're that worried about her then I'll take over for you tomorrow.”

            His older brother’s eyes lit up at the idea, but he was careful to keep his voice low. “You will?” 

            “Why not,” He shrugs. “You go mutagen hunting with Raph and Mikey. Hopefully you’ll run into some purple dragons or Footbots or something. Just to get you back in the game. I’ll stay here and follow Y/n home from work, then text you when she gets in alright.” 

            “Seriously?” 

            Donatello shrugged again, with a half-smile this time. “What are brothers for?” 

            Grabbing his hand, Leo finally managed to smile as well. “Thanks Donnie.”

Chapter Text

            Saying her thanks to the barista, Karai took both cups of coffee and turned to head back towards the table Y/n had chosen. The girl’s heart dropped when she saw her friend. So far, her plan for the day had been failing. David already had his shot dragging her out last week to see Jamison perform, that failed so miserably that y/n refused to leave the house for a week. She finally managed to talk her out of the house. It took cornering her at work last night, but at least she was here. Still moping though.

            Currently her eyes were locked on the street just outside the window, he picked at the paper bag their cookies came in as she thought, no doubt about her pet once again. Karai figured it would be back if/when Leonardo left, just not this bad. Maybe a week's recovery, tops. Yet, it’s been almost a month. What was really worrying was that Karai isn’t the only one who picked up that her snap back was taking too long. On their way to the airport yesterday morning, her father had told Karai to get to the bottom of it. He was beginning to make assumptions that Y/n’s delayed emotional recovery meant that she had something to do with the turtle’s escape. 

            Not that I would surprise Karai if she did. The singer had a good heart. No doubt as soon as she noticed that Leonardo’s anthropomorphic nature extended deeper than his outward appearance, Y/n began coming up with ways to set him free. 

            With a heavy sigh, Karai made her way to the table, sitting across for Y/n as she set the cups down. When Y/n didn’t turn her head, the older girl reached out to place a hand on her wrist. Y/n jumped on contact, but soon forced a smile when she grabbed her coffee. Holding it to her chest with both hands, the singer took a sip. The flavor making a legitimate smile spread on her cheeks.

            “Perfect as always,” She hums. “This place never fails when it comes to pick me up.”

            “True, it’s good to see you smile.”  Karai responded softly. “Still missing your turtle?”

            The question made Y/n sigh. The answer was yes, but that felt like the wrong thing to say. She knew what her friends were doing. First David and now Karai. They were trying to keep her busy, distract her if you will from her mind’s downward spiral. To say she had been doing well since Leonardo’s leaving would be a bigger lie then saying The Hudson had clean water. She was downright depressed. 

Still, she forced a wider smile to respond. “I appreciate all that you’ve done for me today. Brunch, that cute boutique, coffee, it means a lot to me.” Karai was having doubts, that was obvious. Trying to make her believe, Y/n reached forward and intertwined their fingers. “Seriously Karai, thank you so much.”

            “Be honest with me.” the girl hummed as she took a sip of her drink. “Why is this bothering you so much? I mean, he was just your pet to you, right?” Y/n hesitated, her eyes darting to the ground. When Karai felt her grip on their joint hands tighten, her stomach dropped. “Right?”

            “God, it's so stupid!” Y/n all but shouted, her coffee slamming on the table as both hands rushed to her hair. Her elbows made the table rattle as they caught the weight of her upper body. Silently Karai watched as her friend's eyes darted back and forth, no doubt chasing her thoughts that swiftly began to slip past her lips. “I don’t understand what's going on, Karai! Why does it hurt so much that he left? Why does it feel like something is missing? Not just from my life, but from me.” 

            Y/n had never felt this way before. Not even when her parents died. No, that feeling was different. When they left her stomach dropped, her chest tightened, and she was lonely. But there was hope with them. Hope that someday, somehow, they will find each other again. Y/n wasn’t sure what came after this, but she figured wherever you go, whatever was in store, she’d find her parents waiting for her. Maybe that's why she didn’t feel like a part of herself was missing when she lost them but did now that Leo was gone. 

            There wasn't any hope that she would see Leo again. He was gone forever, and it was all her part. She didn’t even have proof that the turtle had been in her life, except… Y/n looked down at her phone. That one picture was the only proof that he was real, and so far, everyone outside her immediate friend group thought it was some sort of filter. Whenever she saw it, her heart dropped, but Y/n didn't want to change it. She’d lose the image in her files and just like that, it would be like Leonardo never existed. She didn't want that. She wanted to hold on. She wanted to go back home to her own apartment and find the turtle waiting on the couch for her lounging under her floral throw blanket, smiling in her direction as he invited her to lay down beside him. 

            That would never happen again. And it was all her fault.

            “It was my choice… I…” Y/n’s voice tapered off as she squeezed herself tighter.

            She felt stupid. She was at the brink of tears thinking about what she gave up. Seeing how upset Y/n was by it all, helped Karai gauge her reaction to her final statement. Her friend had done something to cause Leo to leave, and the older girl was worried about what it might be.

            “You what?” Karai prompted, trying to keep her tone level even though she had a feeling she knew what was to come.

            “Please don’t be mad.” Y/n begged, her voice hardly there. Karai’s stomach dropped, her suspicions growing stronger until Y/n finally confessed. “I helped him escape.”

            “You what?!” the other girl hissed.

            “I know I'm sorry! I just… I couldn’t keep him there.” Y/n all but shouted her head darting around to look at other patrons before lowering her voice. She refused to meet Karai’s eyes; she didn’t want to see the disappointed gaze. “Francoeur is like a person! I couldn’t just keep him prisoner in my home like that. He looked so sad. He was missing his family, and I just…” a heavy sigh passed her lips, hands sliding from her shoulders in favor of gripping her elbows while she leaned on the tabletop. “I’m sorry.”

            Karai’s grip tightened around her cup. Acting fast, she lifted the drink to her lips releasing her tense sigh under the guise of blowing the steam away. She hated the anger that shot through her at her friend's confession. She knew Y/n was going to say something along those lines, Karai just hoped it was something closer to ‘I went searching for his brothers’ or ‘I told Leo to try and run’ just not ‘I straight up helped him escape’. Closing her eyes, Karai took in a few calculated breaths before looking back at her friend.

            Y/n was anxiously toying with the rib of her cup. Karai watched as her eyes rushed back and forth as if scrolling with each passing thought. Her nervous habit that always ties back to her much more distributive one of overthinking. It only took a few fleeting seconds of watching this for all of Karai’s anger to melt away into concern. Something clicked in her mind. The reason why she wasn’t given any new updates regarding the investigation of Leonardo’s escape.

            Someone must know Y/n helped him.

            Her stomach dropped. They had to know something. Otherwise, Karai would still be getting updates. Someone up top, if not all the way up to her father, knows that as loyal as Karai is to the clan and her family, she would do anything to help Y/n avoid consequences. They would have to keep her at arm’s length so that Karai didn’t intervene. 

            From across the table, Y/n took notice of her friend’s changing expression. She gasped sharply when Karai’s cup lowered to the table revealing a nearly terrified expression. Wide eyes studied her silently until Y/n’s voice found its way back into existence. She mumbled out a plethora of half sentences before she was finally cut off.

            “Hey…it’s ok. I’m not mad at you.” Karai’s arms darted across the table to grab Y/n’s hand once again. To calm herself, she began to play with her friends’ fingers as she continued her thought. “Honestly, if you had done anything different, I’d be worried someone messed with your head.” 

            “You're really not angry?” Y/n asked, her eyes lifting to her friends just in time to see Karai smile sweetly and nod. “Isn’t he liking your enemy or something?”

            “I mean, yeah, but the chase was getting boring without him there.” Karai responds with a smirk, her cup raising to her lips.. “Though, if you miss him that much I could always, I don’t know… capture him again.”

            “No, don't do that!” Y/n denied quickly when her face suddenly broke into her own teasing smirk. “At least not until my birthday.”

            The pair laughed together, knowing full well that Y/n was being sarcastic.

            “Ha! There she is!” Karai beamed, “Honestly, I just want my girl back. No more of this mopey heartbroken girl, and I’ll do whatever it takes to fix it.”

            “Karai, I love you.” Y/n squeezed her hand before her smile faltered. “I just don't think anything, but time can fix this one.”

            Her friend sent her a sympathetic look before shifting the topic of conversation. Together they chatted about work, Y/n’s singing and Karai leading security for her father’s company. Pressing forward they talked about movies, including the one they had tickets for after their cafe stop. It was the new Hunger Games. It took them half an hour of bickering during brunch to settle on it, but now they were both simply excited for a few hours of focusing on something other than their lives. 

            Those few hours didn’t feel like nearly enough after the fact. As they walked arm and arm back to Y/n’s apartment, the girls talked about the movie ideally, still trying to ignore the rest of their lives for just a little bit longer. 

            Good things never lasted however, for when they arrived outside of Happen Tower the truth settled back over them. Y/n would go up and be missing her pet, Karai would go home to suit up for a mission. Their lives would have to start up again and the fight to keep the weight of the world from crashing down on their heads would be back. With a sad smile Y/n opened her arms towards her friend who eagerly approached. Karai’s arms settled securely around the younger girl's waist, while Y/n nuzzled her face in the crook of Karai’s neck. 

            “Will you be at the show tonight?” Y/n hummed against her shoulder.

            “Unfortunately, no,” Karai responded as she hesitantly took a step back. “Father left me in charge, and the other guys on the board are not very fond of it. Tonight, I have to prove my worth.” 

            “Well regardless of what those jerks think, you’ll always be the number one boss to me.” Y/n replied, giving Karai’s hand a squeeze when she continued. “And yes, that outranks your dad.”

            “Thanks Songbird.” Karai smiled as she pulled her hand away, reveling in their last bit of contact before finally stepping out of arm's reach. “Break a leg. I’ll see you next weekend.” 

***

            The stage light felt like they were burning her skin. This wasn’t a new feeling by any means, but today it felt so much worse. It had been a slow build since the night Leonardo left her. Each time she took the stage they hurt more. Her eyes wanted to water, her skin wanted to redden, it was as if she was standing in the sun, willing to disintegrate into a pile of dust. The song of lost love that she was singing certainly didn't help in any way.

            “Love you didn't do right by me,” Y/n sang, wishing that this particular song could have remained Rosemary Clooney’s, but no. It was on the set list from her boss, so it had to be sung, no matter how close to home it hit. “You planned a romance that just hadn't a chance and I'm through.”

            Luckily, this song did have some positive memories tied to it, even if the lyrics caused her heart to ping. Y/n loved to sing this song while cleaning, that didn’t change when she had her temporary roommate. Truly, she didn’t realize just how much she sang it until one day, as he wiped down the coffee table for her, Leonardo started to hum the tune to himself. Now that she had heard the turtle’s chur, she couldn’t help but recognize the similarities between the two sounds. 

            Both were deep subtle rumbles, the only difference being where they came from. For while his hum was in his throat, Leo's chur came from deep in his chest. Even though she was distressed the only time she heard it, to Y/n that deep chur was a comfort. While nuzzling herself as close to the turtle as possible she could feel the rumbling down to her bone. It kept her present yet lulled her into a sweet sense of security. She would give anything to hear that chur again.

            Y/n shook her head as she sang her final notes of the set, she needed to stop thinking. Gracefully she bowed before linking arms with David to leave the stage. Together they wandered back to her dressing room. Instantly Y/n wandered to her vanity and began to brush out her hair as David spoke to her. 

            At first it was casual, continuing their conversation from earlier about her day, then it suddenly shifted. He was talking about Leonardo again. Y/n tried to tune him out. She needed to stop thinking about him. That turtle will drive her crazy if she’s not careful. Forcing the brush through her hair she managed to keep herself distracted until David’s tongue clicked. 

            “Karai said it sounds a bit like a crush.” Y/n stiffened at his words, and David instantly took notice, holding up a hand as if to show he didn’t mean any offense. “You don't have to tell me if you don’t want to, but if that is how you felt about Leonardo then it isn’t surprising that this hurt so much. Losing someone you love to a breakup is different from losing someone to death. Knowing that they are still out there somewhere, that can destroy you if you're not careful."

            She took a moment to take in his words before nodding to herself.  The girl could feel in her heart that he was right, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Not right now at least. So, she chose the easiest response while standing from her vanity cahrge to face him face on. 

            “Thank you David.” 

            Instead of responding immediately the man pulled his pseudo-sister into a hug, holding her close to his chest. Y/n melted into the affection allowing herself a few moments to feel at ease until talked a hesitant step back. Looking up, she was met with a pair of concerned chocolate eyes attempting to gauge her reactions. Once he was satisfied, her friend squeezed her shoulders. 

            “By the way. Great job, pretty girl,” David smiled as he kissed y/n’s forehead. “Still don’t wanna stick around with me. A few drinks could do you good.”

            Y/n rolled her eyes at her friend with a smile. “I’m sure, besides, still underaged, remember” 

            “If you say so.” He gave her shoulders a final squeeze before leaving her dressing room with his final send off. “Text me when you're home.” 

            “Will do!” Y/n chirped with her finally bit of joyful energy. 

            In an instant all of her remaining energy zapped from her body, making the very idea of getting changed dreadful. Changing out of her dress meant going home. Going home meant walking past her under construction apartment and into David’s. Sitting in David’s apartment all alone meant more time to get lost in her head and regret ever letting Leonardo leave. And of course, that painful cycle led to her guilt tripping herself until she was a husk of herself sitting in silence staring at a wall. 

            Sounding like a wonderful night, Y/n thought to herself with a groan while forcing herself out of her chair to her tiny wardrobe. This wardrobe held her most respective performance dresses.  The ones made of silk or covered in sequins. She wore them most often, only straying from the line up during special events such as Broadway night when she chose a simple black dress from her home closet instead. Her current number, a red off the shoulder cocktail dress with a matching sash with tails that swayed near her knee, belonged in this wardrobe with its sisters. In the bottom of the wardrobe were her folded clothes from earlier, just the bra, jeans, and t-shirt she had been wearing all day. Nothing fancy, but definitely comfortable, which is what she really wanted at that moment.

            Pushing away the final bits of hesitation, Y/n reached to the side of her dress and pulled the zipper. As she let the dress fall, a huff passed her lips. Even removing a dress seemed different now. Whenever she tugged on her zipper pulls, she imagined the feeling of Leo’s nervous hands fumbling with the tiny  bit of metal behind her dress. She could feel his three fingered hands against her skin, shaking just slightly as if she feared one wrong move would shatter her. 

            No. 

            She shook the thoughts away. Now was not the time. She just needed to get dressed and get home then she could do something, anything else. Clasping her bra on, Y/n tried to keep her mind busy by making a plan for when she got to the apartment. Curl up under her blanket was definitely on the to do list. Maybe she could watch a movie as well. Her first thought was, of course, her favorite. Space Heroes Four, The Battle for Planet Neptar.

            Then again, Leo did make a good argument for Space Heroes Two, A Woman’s Word. She smiled herself while stepping into her slightly too tight of jeans, beginning the jumping battle of forcing them up her legs. That was a fun conversation, and one of their first full ones. Which Space Hero’s was Best and Why They Should Totally Watch that One, was a bickering argument that lasted twenty minutes while Y/n sat on the floor in front of the DVD player and Leo paced between the couch and coffee table while arguing his points. 

            “It has all of the usual space hero charm and since the first movie covered all the character’s introductions you finally get to follow the development.” Leonardo argued with a passion Y/n had yet to see from the terrapin, “It’s also the introduction of the romantic side plot which leads to Celestial’s betrayal which in turn leads to that final battle you love so much. Face it, nothing would be the way it was without the second movie.” 

            Y/n couldn't stop her giggle as she finished jumping into her jeans. Maybe the second movie would do her good. Instead of running from the thought of Leonardo, embracing it. She nodded to herself as she fastened her button and grabbed her shirt. That would be her plan. Get home, cuddle up on the couch, and watch the second Space heroes until David comes home and forces her to bed.

            The girl allows herself to get lost in the perfect thought until her dressing room door suddenly flies open. “Princess!”

            “Jesus!” Y/n jumped as she spun around clinging her shirt to her chest while glaring at her intruder.

            “Not quite.” Shane smiled as he leaned against her dressing room’s door frame. His eyes trailed her up and down, watching as she swiftly pulled her shirt over her head. “Cute bra.” The man smirked, earning himself an eye roll. Seeing her response, his expression swiftly shifted to one of annoyance. “Ito and Fa are looking for you. Apparently Mr. Okoro left them with a replacement gift for you. Since you managed to lose the last one.”

            Y/n’s body stiffened, but somehow she managed to force a smile. “How thoughtful of him.”

            “Don’t keep them waiting.” Shane responded, clicking his tongue. Apparently Y/n wasn’t as slick as she thought. Rolling off of the door frame her stage manager left the room. “They are outback.”

            The girl’s shoulders fell from their stiff position near her ears once she was alone. A heavy sigh slipped from her mouth as she began to scramble for her flats. I don’t want another gift, she thought to herself, this is getting ridiculous. Even so, she knew she couldn’t refuse. So, with her shoes on, Y/n grabbed her hooded jack and left the room while pulling it up her arm. Silently she walked to the end of the hall towards the back entrance of the club. When she opened the door however, she didn’t see anyone or anything waiting for her.

            “Fa?” she called out as she looked into the dark alleyway. When she got no response she called out again. “Ito?”

            Still nothing. Getting frustrated the girl finally left the building and turned herself towards the entry of the alley. Where the hell are they? She asked herself while turning to look the other direction. That way was shroud in shadow, but if she squinted she thought she could make out a silhouette. Her head tilted to the side. Not a moment later, the silhouette rushed forward, causing Y/n to jump backwards.  

            “Ito! You scared me.” She scolded the man. 

            “That scared you?” He chuckled in response before rushing forward and grabbed Y/n with both arms. His hold was tight enough that she struggled to take a full breath, but it didn’t stop her struggle. 

            Suddenly Fa's voice bounced off the halls as he too finally emerged, stepping into the flickering light from a streetlamp. “You're in for one hell of a night.” 

            “Hey! Get off me!” Y/n shouted, fighting against Ito’s grip to the best of her ability, but it seemed as if the man was prepared, hardly jostling as Y/n continued to throw her weight back against him. 

            Ito chuckled as he leaned down to her ear. His breath smelt like whiskey as it fanned across her cheek making the girl wrinkle her nose in disgust. “Not so strong when you’re outnumbered.” 

            “Stop!”

            “Shut her up.” Fa commanded and in an instant her head was held back against Ito’s shoulder as the man readjusted his grip to hold her still with one hand while using the other to cover her mouth.

            She attempted to struggle again, but it got her nowhere. Instead, when her chest puffed with frustration, Fa chuckled, taking the opportunity to reach out and grab her breast. His initial grip was tight to the point that she winced on contact. The man chuckled, tightening his grip in response before moving close to her and fondling both of her breasts at once. The pain subsided and was replaced with pure disgust. 

            You can live through this. Y/n chanted to herself this was as far as they were allowed last time. He’ll get bored, he’ll stop, you can go home and take thirty showers. 

            Her eyes clamped shut as she tried to think of something, anything else. That’s when he came to mind again. Leonardo. Specifically, the moments after he realized he had his voice back. She thought about his smile, the pride in his eyes, the pure unadulterated joy. Her mind tried to recreate the comforting feeling of his hands securely on her waist, and the absence of fear they provided her with. Then she thought about what he told her. 

            “Now that I can actually talk there is something I need to tell you, someone has got to knock some sense into your co-workers for talking to you like that. He sounds like a walking cesspool.” Leo had told her. If he could see this now, HA, he’d be beyond pissed. 

            Her mind jumped to her response. “...But if my big scary pet turtle happens to accidentally attack…I wouldn't really stop him.”

            Too bad her guard turtle was gone. Gone to who knows where doing who knows what with his brothers. Leonardo wasn’t here. He didn’t care about her anymore. Why would he? There was no chance that he was grieving the same way she was. That was unreasonable to think. Almost as unreasonable as it was to pray that the turtle would reappear to rescue her. 

            Y/n’s thoughts were suddenly rattled when she felt one of Fa’s hands leave her chest. Against her best judgment, she opened her eyes. Is he done? She wondered while attempting to lift her head from where Ito pinning it against his shoulder. What she saw just made her eyes widen. Fa was smirking. That wasn’t what happened last time. Last time, he moved a hand away and checked his watch with glare as if he had a time limit that he had hit. This time, he looked devilish. 

            “Mr. Okoru is in Japan.” He reminded her as he tightened his grip on her breast while pressing his free hand against her hip. “Which means no time limit for me. I can do whatever I'd like.” 

            Her eyes widened, Oh fuck. Fa wasted on time sliding his hand from Y/n’s hip to cup between her legs. A shiver shot up her spine and on instinct she attempted to squirm away. Ito simply tightened his grip on her, holding her still for the other man. His fingers slid across the seam of her pants a few times before Fa clicked his tongue. Releasing her breast entirely the man gripped the waistband of her jeans, yanking her hips forward with enough force that Y/n’s feet stumbled below her. While popping the button Fa leaned in pressing his nose against Y/n’s neck and inhaling deeply.

            “Pretty Pretty girl.” He hummed causing Y/n to choke back the bile rising up her throat.

            Just as his hand reached into her jeans to cup her heat a heavy thud could be heard from behind them. Y/n could feel men stiffen. Desperately she tried to look for Fa’s shoulder, but Ito’s hold on her kept her head from moving, from what she could see however, she could see terror in their eyes. A scuff could be heard, followed by the sound of wood hitting someone’s hand. Did this new guy have a bat? Y/n wondered.

            “Party’s over, the girl comes with me.”

            Ito’s grip suddenly tightened as he pulled Y/n close to him. “And how are you going to get her, turtle?” 

            Turtle? Y/n’s eyes widened as new tears, ones of relief, pricked in her eyes. Francoeur. It has to be him. She was saved. 

Chapter Text

        Late! I am so late! Donnie’s mind raced as he jumped across the rooftops towards the nightclub Y/n worked at. Leo told him to get there no later than 10:45 since the girl should be leaving the club around 11. It took until 10:50 to split away from his brothers and now he was rushing. If he fucked this up, Leo would never let him stand in again, meaning that he would spend every night stalking Y/n instead of leading patrols. That would be no good for anyone. 

        He was almost there, just two more buildings then he would be there. That’s when he heard it. “Stop!” a womans’ voice echoed causing his whole body to tense. Donnie's first and only thought was simply ‘don’t let that be Leo’s girlfriend.’ before he jumped to the next rooftop and looked down into the alley where the scream came from. The scene in front of him made his stomach drop before anger bubbled up from deep within his chest.

        What did they think they were doing? Those two men (If they could even be called that) were restraining Y/n while whispering something in her ear. The bigger of the two men had her arms restrained with one of his own while his free hand crossed over her chest to cover her mouth, pinning her head back against his shoulder. While chuckling, the second man was gripping her breasts and before Donnie could process what he was seeing, one of the man’s hands suddenly lowered to Y/n’s waist band.

        I think not! The turtle thought before jumping from the roof. He landed behind the group with a heavy thud. The man restraining Y/n saw Donnie in an instant, his eyes widening with fear as he watched the turtle rise to his full height while drawing his Bo staff from his back, slapping the wood into his head to add to his threatening look. 

        “Party’s over, the girl comes with me.” that was a stupid entry line his mind screeched at him as the second of Y/n’s assailants turned to look at him.

        Silently he watched as the goon holding her, tightened his grip on Y/n forcing her head to crain even further against his shoulder. “And how are you going to get her, turtle?”

        “Why don’t you find out.” Donnie all but growled.

        Over confident, the smaller man removed his hands from Y/n to face the turtle head one. It only took a single move for Donnie to fling him over his shoulder to the ground of the alley. The turtle then went to charge the other man. On instinct, he released Y/n’s arms. The girl, wasting no time, used her newly freed limps to reach for the man’s other hand, clawing at it until she was able to pry it from her mouth. She lowered the hand just enough to bite down on the junction of the man’s thumb, causing him to shout in surprise and shove her away.

        Donnie was fast to catch her, using a single hand to steady her. “You okay?” He asked careful to keep an eye over her head towards the goon behind her.

        “You're not Francoeur.” The girl rushed out.

        Donnie stiffened at the comment, pulling his eyes away just long enough to send her a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I’m the stand in today.” 

        “Don’t apologize, you just kept me from getting… LOOKOUT!” Y/n cut herself off with a scream before suddenly using her grip on the turtle’s shoulder to pull him forward before using Donnie’s shell as a springboard to launch herself at the man attempting to sneak up on them. Her landing left Y/n in a less than optimal position, and Fa quickly got her to the ground straddling her waist as he pinned her wrists.

        The turtle watched with wide eyes, wanting to run to help, but Ito’s hands gripped Donnie’s bo, leaving the turtle only enough room to shout over his shoulder. “What are you doing!” 

        “Keeping one guy busy!” The girl screamed back as her nails dug into Fa’s arm while adjusting her grip on the man above her. Post her response, Y/n looked back at Fa, finding him smirking down at her, his pride that he landed in a mount position over her evident. This simply made her glare easier to form as her own smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth. Her fear was now temporarily replaced with adrenaline and she knew that would be her driving force. Well that and the fact that now that she wasn’t restrained by a second person she had a promise to keep.

        “I told you I’d break your arm if you ever touched me.” Without another word, Y/n twisted her body to capture Fa in an arm bar. Throwing her weight forward she landed on his back, his arm still captured and now painfully twisted. She refused to release his arm in spite of the man's screaming until she heard the snap she desired. Instantly, Fa’s screams intensified, making Y/n smirk while throwing the now lip appendage down. “I always keep my promises.” 

        Ito and the turtle froze, both staring in shock as the girl stood, took a moment to rebutton her jeans then looked up at them, completely unbothered. Their eyes were as wide as saucers, but neither moved. That was, of course, until Y/n’s eyes landed on Ito, her neutral glaze morphing into a deathly glare. Reading herself she prepared to fight her next attacker alongside the turtle. Before either of them could move, Ito released his grip on Donnie’s Do and bloated toward the entrance of the alley, disappearing around a corner in seconds.

        “Well he made that easy.” Donnie mused before looking back at Y/n. “I think it’s time to get you home.” 

        Y/n nodded at the turtle as he held out his hand to her. She prepared to grab it, only to freeze when Fa called out to them. “Get back here you, you, Whore!”

        “Maybe I should break your jaw as well Fa,” Y/n groaned, turning on her heel to stare at the man who was pitifully laying on the ground where she had left him. “That will shut you up.”

        Before she could step in his direction, Donnie grabbed her shoulder holding her in place. “He’s not worth it.” He said simply. Y/n turned to him prepared to argue, but it fell silent on her lips when the turtle’s tone softened to a whisper. “Let’s get out of here.”

        She wasn’t exactly sure why, but there was something about his tone mixed with the caring glint in his eyes that caused all of Y/n’s anger to fade away. The adrenaline in ehr veins slowly dwindled, and reality set back in. She was scared. No. She was terrified. Her chest began to burn. Y/n’s eyes darted around the alleyway scanning through her steps that lead to this very moment until they finally settled on the three fingered hand resting on her shoulder. It was familiar, but new. Both of her hands rushed up to cover it, clinging to one of his fingers. It was so large that her thumb barely managed to find its resting place on top of her middle nail. Even so, it didn't scare her. No. This turtle was the only thing in the whole world that didn’t scare her right now.

        So with desperate eyes, she whispered to him. “ please .” 

        Donnie looks at her sadly as he realizes that everything must be settling in. She needed to get home, or at the very least somewhere comfortable. Wasting no more time, he tucked his bo securely on his back before crouching down and opening his arms. Donnie then waited. Y/n didn’t need anything else forced on her, and it seemed like Fa was down for the count. They had time. So he simply stayed in his open position until the girl was ready.

        For a few moments, she simply stared. It amazed her how small and welcoming he managed to make himself. This was a giant ninja turtle for crying out loud, yet he made the two of them level and his features soft. From the looks of it, he would be willing to wait forever if that’s what she needed. 

        I want to leave, Y/n finally thought to herself, punctuating the thought with a nod. She approached him slowly, taking one of his outstretched hands with her own and waited leaving a mere foot of space between them. Donnie’s lips stretched into a small smile as he led her hand to his shoulder. Catching on fast, Y/n moved her other hand to the turtle free shoulder. The turtle then tucked one arm behind her back while the other scooped under her knees. When he stood fully, she was securely in his arms being led towards a wall of the ally below a fire escape. 

        He tried his best not to jostle her more than necessary as he moved Y/n’s to one arm, so he could scale the building. With hand on the fire escape he glanced down at the girl, giving his final warning. “Hold tight!” 

        The Turtle then jumped up, grabbing the fire escape with hsi free arm, before skillfully climbing tot he rooftop. Y/n took a deep breath when their assent was done, only to release it as a yelp when Doonnie rushed towards the edge of the building. Without warning the turtle jumped. Shocked by suddenly being airborn Y/n buried herself against Donnie’s shell. 

        He couldn’t help but chuckle as he adjusted his grip to hold her tighter. His eyes glanced down at her, and what he saw made him smile. She admitted looked adorable. Her frazzled mess of hair was rushing around her head, her eyes were clamped shut, and her lips were pressed in a tight line. Even so, she looked adorably meek. If someone tried to convince him that this girl had broken a man’s arm just a few minutes ago he would have laughed in their face. 

        I see why Leo likes her so much, he thought to himself, she’s a natural charmer. Capable, smart, and pretty. All of that can be figured out after just a few minutes with her. They hadn’t even spoken really, yet Donnie felt as if he already learned so much. 

        He jumped a few more rooftops before finally settling on one half way between ehr apartment and the club. They were a good distance away now.

        “Okay we should be safe here.” The turtle said as he carefully released Y/n from his hold, leaving his hand grazing her lower back to keep her steady. “How ya holding up?”

        Instead of a response, Y/n’s shoulder suddenly jerked as a loud sob tore from her throat. Donatello jumped back at the sound, hands raising in the air, just in case his touch had caused whatever was going on . But it wasn’t him. No. All adrenaline was gone now, and so was the anger. Y/n’s mind simply shouted one word on repeat to her, scared. Her hand moved to her face, pals pressing on her eyes as tears began to fall. 

        She could vaguely hear her rescuer panicking in front of her. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her look up at him, arms moving to hug herself. The second he saw tears however, his panic intensified. Donnie was not the turtle who dealt with tears. That was Mikey’s job. He couldn't even handle when April cried and he actually knew her. This girl. Y/n. Was a stranger to him. He had no idea what to do.

        “Oh crap, um fuck, um, I don’t know how to fix crying.'' The turtle looked around frantically, his hands clenching in the air as he used them through the air uselessly until they finally found purchase on Y/n’s shoulders, squeezing them in what he hoped was a comforting way. “If it’s any consolation, that was badass back there. Leo would be proud of you.”

        “Really?” She whispered, head craning back to look up at him.  

        Taking pity on the girl Donnie slumped his back a bit while smiling. “Yeah. I had no idea you could defend yourself like that.” 

        “I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere if you didn’t show up to save me.” She sniffled, her voice a miserable horse tone.“Thank you um…”

        “Donatello.” He said quickly, a sheepishly smile appearing.

        Y/n managed to mimic the turtle’s cheerful expression as she broke a line of tears with the back of her hand. “Donatello. I like it.” 

        A comfortable silence settled over the pair for a few moments, before Donatello pulled a small shell shaped device off of his belts. Silently he squinted at the screen before returning it to its proper place with a sigh. His attention moved back to Y/n who was busying herself with pulling pieces of rubble out of her hair as she sniffled. When he spoke, however, the girl stopped what she was doing to focus on him. 

        “You shouldn't stay out too much longer. Where do you want to go? Home? A friend's house? I mean if you really want I can take you to Leo.” Donnie offered only to find Y/n’s hands covering his mouth as she jumped up onto her toes, eyes wide with panic.

        “N-no…” She rejected so quickly that her cheeks managed to turn an even deeper shade of red. “I don’t want him to see me like this.”

        The girl lowered back to flat feet, head turning to the side as if she was afraid to make further eye contact. Donnie took the opportunity to give her a once over. Sure her hair was tangled and there were smudges of dirt on her face and arms but that was to be expected considering what she just went through. The same could be said about her puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. Did she look her absolute best? No, but she didn’t look that bad. You know, all things considered. “I’m pretty sure he’ll understand why you look…”

        “Like hot garbage?” she cut him off, attempting to run her fingers through her hair only to get quickly caught on a knot. “It’s ok, I'm aware.” 

        “It’s not that bad. ” Donnie quickly countered. “You just look like you…”

        “It’s ok. I know I look like I was rolling around in a dirt back alley.” Y/n insisted, her sad smile reappearing for a moment before she tried to think of where to go. 

        Home wasn't a good choice. Not only did Fa and Ito know where that was, she was certain that being at the empty apartment waiting for David would do more harm than good. She didn't have many people in the city to turn to. Karai was working tonight, and had openly admitted to fighting the turtles, so arriving with one to ehr place wasn’t a smart choice, so Y/n’s mind went to her only other option.

        “Can you take me to Jamison’s? I’ll show you the way.” She asked. Donnie nodded in response before opening his arms again, allowing Y/n to settle back in against him before he took off in the direction she pointed.

***

        Y/n would admit, she never expected to enter her friend’s apartment complex through a hall window, yet there she was, clinging separately to Donnie as he picked the lock and climbed inside. Silently the turtle carried her past the numbered doors of the fifth floor until she stipped him outside of Jamison’s unit. 

        He stood silently outside the door, doing nothing more than loosen his grips on her. He was letting Y/n take the lead again and she appreciated it more than she could say. Trying to show him at least a small amount of gratitude, the girl stayed in his arms, adjusting herself just enough to give him a legitimate hug rather than the scared nuzzle she provided while they jumped through the air. Donnie seemed to understand, giving her a squeeze. They only separated when Y/n’s arms wents slack and started siding off his shoulders.  

        “Thank you.” Y/n’s whispered as she used Donnie’s arm to steady herself as her feet landed on the carpet.

        The turtle gave her elbow a squeeze before lowering his hand and stepping back.“Of course.”

        They stared at each other as Donnie backed towards the window. It reminded them of their first exchange of words, back in Y/n’s apartment. The same feeling of shared emotion and automatic trust lingered around them, only now, they had experienced each other in an active sense. Donnie saved her, and Y/n impressed him. Ultimately, however, they still labeled each other with the same terms. Donatello was Leo’s little brother, a hero. Y/n was a caring girl who took care of Leo, her heart on her sleeve. 

        Part of the turtle’s mind nagged at him as he once again prepared to climb out a window leaving the singer alone on the verge of tears. What were the odds that the two times they interacted ended the same way. Probably higher considering who she works for, Donnie thought, before a memory burned to the forefront of his mind. He still had the card.

        Prior to leaving the lair for patrol, Donatello was thinking of how he was going to sneak away to walk Y/n home. He made a huge chart covering every possible outcome of tonight. Unfortunately, saving her from muggers and/or rapists was on that list. As soon as he charted that possibility however, Donnie realized the opportunity he would have. It was opening to get her out. He had already tried once, offering to take her to Leo, but was soundly rejected. So he could hand her his plan B.

        An index card on which he wrote a single phone number. The best person for Y/n to contact for a quick escape plan, that wouldn’t pop up on the foot’s radar. Not immediately at least. The turtle looked back at Y/n, catching her eyes in a fleeting moment before she turned towards her friend’s apartment door, lifting her hand in preparation to knock. 

        “y/n, wait…” Donnie called, his mind being made up. He dug in the pack dangling from his belt and carefully pulled out a yellow index card that he brought with him, just in case. “I can’t force you to leave, and right now, to say you're pretty shaken up would be an understatement. Think about it, and if or when you decide you're ready to ditch your job. Use the card. April is a friend of my brothers and I. She’ll help you get out, and you’ll be able to stay hidden with us at our lair for however long you need.” 

        Y/n looked at the card for a moment before taking it from his hand and holding it close to her chest, as if it was a precious gift. “Thank you, Donetello. For everything tonight. Please let Francoeur- er uh… Leonardo, know that I'm ok.” 

        “Will do.” He nodded while walking backwards toward the hall window calling out his final goodbye as he climbed through. “See ya around.” 

        She watched as Donatello left, shocking her at the speed in which he disappeared into the night. As amazing as it was, she didn't have the time or desire to think about the logistics now. All she wanted was to be somewhere she knew was safe, preferably with a hug from her friend. So, with new determination Y/n began to knock on the door.

        It took a few minutes of constantly banging for the door to unlock. It tugged open with an unnecessary amount of force  revealing a disheveled Jamison, pissed beyond belief. His pajamas looked rumbled, and he hadn’t bothered to grab a shirt before coming to the door. Before he even looked up at who was knocking the man parked out a harsh ‘What!’. A moment later, he blinked fog from his eyes to take in his visitor. 

          “Y/n? What are you doing here?” Jamison asked, before his expression shifted from confusion to concern. In a flash his arm was around her shoulders, leading the girl into the apartment. Kicking the door shut with his foot the actor turned to his friends, brushed some loose strands of hair out of her face. “You look like shit, what happened?”

        That’s all it took. She broke down into tears again and ran into Jamsions’s arms. He didn’t need an explanation, he simply pushed her inside, shutting the door behind them. The blonde pulled the girl to his chest and held her there, letting her cry until she managed to form words. She went over the night's events, studded by bouts of tears. In the end it was truly a mess of words for Jamie to decipher, but he understood well enough.. As soon as she had finished, Jamison sat her on the couch leaving only long enough to grab his phone. By the time he sat beside her he was already on the phone with David.

        “--just get your ass over here. She said leo–” Shut grabbed his arm and shook her head. Leo wasn’t there, what she had said was a turtle ninja came and helped her. Jamsion got the message, though a new confused look coated his features. “No, a turtle ninja saved her, but that doesn't change the fact that Fa and Ito were there first.”

        “I’m running! I was already part of the way home! I should be there in five minutes!” Y/n overheard David from the other end of the phone. 

        “Just be fast.” Jamison urged. “See you in a bit.” 

        True to his word, David arrived in a little over five minutes. He threw open the door rather than knocking, shocking his friends enough for them to jump to their feet. David wasted no time rushing to Y/n’s side and pulling her tightly against his chest. The man struggled to keep his voice level as he looked back at Jamie.“Leo dropped her off?” 

        The other man sighed and shrugged as he approached the pair, gentilly lifting a hand to pet Y/n’s knotted hair.“She shook her head no, but I don't exactly know any other ninja around here.”

        “His brother.” Y/n muttered against David’s chest.

        “What?” the man asked, pushing her away just enough for her to look up and speak clearly.

        “It was one of Leo's little brothers.” she explained. “Donatello. He saved me.” 

        “Well god bless, Donatello.” David responded as he pulled her back in and kissed her hair line. “They didn’t get… they didn’t… how far did they?”

        Y/n shivered at the implication. “Clothes stayed on.” 

        “Thank god.” her friend sighed, his grip getting tighter. “I was about to drive us to a hospital for a rape kit.” 

        “No… stay here please.” Y/n mumbled against his chest, face buried so tightly against his shirt at this point that David almost failed to decipher her words. 

        “Jamie?”

        “You think I'm letting you two leave. Fat chance.” The blonde scoffed. He then moved his hand to Y/n’s back, prompting her to turn her head and look at him. Jamie sent her a caring smile as he caressed her cheek. “Come on, let's get some pajamas, give you a little TLC, and pile into the king.” 

        The trio nodded to each other before walking to the bedroom .Jasiomse quickly dug through his drawers pulling out extra p[ajama’s for his friends. Y/n then retreated to the bathroom to change as the boys got everything else ready. David went through his work bag for the phone chargers he carried which jamison pulled in by the bedside table. The boys then queued up a piano playlist then knew Y/n loved and dimmed the lights. If they were being honest they were clueless on how to approach this situation, so the pair simply chose to make as comfortable of an environment as possible.

        When Y/n returned she couldn’t stop her smile. It was sweet what they were doing. The only step left was for David to change and them all to climb into bed. Jamsion led Y/n to the side closest to the window, her preferred spot during a standard friend’s overnight. He smiled down at her, running a hand over her hair before moving to his side of the bed. When DAvid came he instantly climbed to the middle. 

        “Feeling up to cuddle? Or would you rather nobody touch you?” He whispered to her, staring at the back of her head patiently.

        Y/n answer came quickly however. “Cuddles please. I don’t want to be alone.” 

        “Cuddle puddle it is!” Jamison all but cheered in front of the other end of the bed, wasting no time to grab David by the hips.

        The blonde all but rolled on top of the other man while laughing. The commotion made Y/n glance over her shoulder and soon he laughed as well. Jaisome looked like a koala clinging to a very flustered tree. David’s eyes met hers in a pleading fashion, as if asking her what he was supposed to do. She couldn't answer him over her laughter. So inters she did her own barrel roll landing with her back against David’s chest. The action was enough to make the final man join in the laughing as his untangled his arms form Jamie’s grip in favor of pulling Y/n closer.

        “Alright enough laughing,” David managed. “We need to get some sleep. It’s been a hectic night.” 

        Everyone hummed in agreement before taking a moment to make themselves comfortable in their new close quarters. Once everything settled Jasisome reached behind him to turn off the flights completely so they could finally go to sleep.

        It took Y/n a while longer to close her eyes, because she saw something from the window. On the adjacent rooftops stood two large shadows. She couldn't make out what they were, but she did see a pair of ribbons blowing in the window behind one of them. Her smile returned as hse thought of who it could be, purple ribbons flash to her mind. 

        “Thank you, Donatello.” she whispered as she closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

Chapter Text

            Donatello wasn’t sure how he felt about leaving Y/n alone in that hallway. Maybe that’s why he chose to linger, pressing his body tightly against the brick wall of the building just outside the window he used as an escape. He all but held his breath as he waited. Confirmation that she was safe was all he needed. It was late, so her friend might be asleep already, after all no lights were on that they could see from the windows. Silently he grabbed his phone and checked the time. It was past Midnight. He would give this Jamison person ten minutes. If he didn’t answer the door by then, he would just go back in and grab Y/n, take her back to the lair, back to Leo, where he knew she would be safe. 

            The turtle’s stomach tightened as he listened to her continuously bang on the door. Leo will kill me if I go back without her being inside. He told himself, though the banging was overbearing. A moment before he was certain that he was going to go insane, Donatello heard his salvation in the form of a very groggy and irritated young man.

            “What!” he barked out before his tone suddenly changed. “Y/n?”

            Okay, she’s good now, Donatello nodded to himself then  finally took the lead to the bottom of the alley. Tugging up the man whole, he made his escape to the swears before rushing home to his waiting brothers. 

            In a dose of false hope, the purple turtle assumed when he jumped the turn stiles into the lair he would find his brothers all lounge in the living room. Instead, he was met with the sight of Raphael and Michelangelo working together to hold Leonardo back from the entrance. Donnie’s first thought was admittedly outlandish, but he couldn't help it. The panicked and angry expression on his older brother made him wonder, does he have some kinda ESP? After all, that was the expression he expected after he told Leo what happened not before.

            When the blue clad turtle saw his little brother enter the lair, all his fight left with a revealed sigh. The change was so fast that it shocked all three of his younger brothers. Leonardo paid them no mind, simply shrugging Mikey, and Raph off so he could walk to Donnie’s side. Placing a hand on his little brother’s shoulder he asked a single question.

            “That took a while. No problems?” 

            Donnie cringed at the question, “I wouldn’t say that.” 

            In another snap, Leo’s body tensed up. His grip on his little brother’s shoulder tightened as panic filled his eyes. “What happened? Is she ok? Where is she?”

            “She’s fine now. She asked to go to her friend Jamie’s apartment so I took her there.” his little brother explained hoping it would calm Leo down, but it did the opposite.

            “You interacted with her!” He all but screamed. “Why? What happened? What happened to Finch.”

            A jolt rushed through the room, climbing up the back of all four brothers as Leo’s words were processed. He didn't mean to say her name, but he was panicking. Donnie was shocked that any amount of panic could cause their leader to break his silence on the matter, after all following Y/n home was a secret. The others were simply startled as they quickly learned what their brothers were talking about. For Raphael, that shock faded quickly and morphed into irritation. 

            “Finch?” he asked harshly. “Wait, are you two talking about the girl who kept you hostage?”

            “I wasn’t her hostage, I was her…” Leonardo began to counter only to hesitate. This question was still irking him. What was he to her? A pet? A friend? More than a friend? He wasn’t sure. He supposed now he was nothing more than a stalker, but that certainly didn't help his case. Steading his tone, the blue turtle chose the only word that felt remotely correct. “...roommate.” 

            “Same difference Leo.” Raphael groaned. “What's going on? Why was Donnie with this chick tonight?” 

            “Don’t worry about it.”

            “It’s not cool to keep secrets dude.” Michelangelo cut in, his voice softer than his brothers, dripping with concern. “Come on, we’re your brothers, you can trust us.”

            Silence settled over the room. Mikey had a point, and his tone simply drove it home. Leo knew he should be willing to trust his brothers with what he was doing, what he was feeling, but he couldn’t. It would be too much. Besides, they were brothers. Long heart to hearts talking about crushes seemed just so… girly. Not to mention, he saw how they treated Donnie, he remembered how he treated Donnie when he first started crushing on April. Sure, they were younger then, but still. 

            Looking at his brothers, he saw all three of them patiently waiting for him to say something, anything. None of them were judging. In fact, they seemed genuinely concerned about what was going on. Even Raphael had cooled off enough for his features to soften. Leo then decided they deserved an explanation. 

            “It’s just…” Leonardo hesitated. It wasn’t just anything. Even so, his brother was right, he shouldn’t be keeping secrets. “Where she works is dangerous and she walks home really late at night, so I've been making sure she gets home ok. Donnie covered for me tonight so that I could stay on patrol with you guys.” He explained, anxiety filling him once again as he approached the true problem at hand. “I knew when she was late that something happened.”

            “You are unfortunately very right.” Donnie mumbled, all eyes landing on him once again. “Her co-workers really suck.”

            Leonardo couldn’t stop his irritated groan at the mention of those men. “I already knew that you should have heard the things they say to her, they are so perverse and monstrous. I’m worried that someday they are going to try to…” The realization hit him like a truck. Donnie wouldn’t have stepped in on words alone. It had to have been more than that. Which means that those bastards actually did something to Y/n.

            Mikey was the one brave enough to approach his oldest brother after seeing his shocked expression. “Leo?”

            “Donnie…” He cut off his younger brother, staring at the purple turtle desperately. “Please tell me they didn’t.” 

            “Almost.” Donatello sighed, his chest tightening as he thought back and imagined what could have happened. “They almost did… I heard her scream and intervened. We took care of them and then she wanted to go to her friends. I only left once I knew she was with him. She should be safe now.” 

            The silence returned but this time it was tense. The reality of the situation sunk into each of them causing a range of reactions. Donnie looked away, bug gut turning with anger and disgust as he tried not to picture what could have happened if he was a second later. Michelangelo was confused a bit longer than the others, but you could see when it all set in for his face cycled through a range of emotions in a matter of seconds. Confusion faded to disgust, then sadness, then anger, and finally concern directed toward his eldest brother.

            Leonardo seemed as if he was a moment away from murder. How dare they touch Finch. His Finch, His Y/n. If it wasn’t for Donatello’s’ hand landing on the center of his chest, the bleu turtle would have been out of the lair and halfway down the street, swords drawn, ready for revenge. While he was stopped, someone else passed. He was fuming far more than expected.

            Without warning, the red clad brother suddenly stormed towards the lair’s entrance causing his youngest brother to call out to him. “Raph? Where are you going?” 

            “Isn’t it obvious?” he all but growled, knuckles turning pale as he gripped his Sais. “I’m going to beat the shit out of some jackasses for touching Leo’s girlfriend.” 

            “No need actually.” The sound of Donnie’s voice caused his brothers to freeze. They looked at him confused, especially since he now looked a moment from laughing. “Y/n already broke one of their arms and the other ran away.”

            “She broke his arm?!” They all shouted.

            “Yeah, the girl has some bite to her.” Donnie couldn’t stop his chuckle as he thought back. Y/n looked deadly in that moment. No remorse, no hesitation, she simply acted. The purple turtle knew he DID NOT want to be on her bad side.

            “Yeah, she does.” Leonardo responded proudly. “But I still wanna check on her.” 

            “Want us to come man?” Raphael asked, still more than ready to bust some heads if given the green light by their leader.

            The bleu turtle shook his head. “No, you guys stay here and get to bed. I’ll be home soon.”

            “I’m coming with you.” Donnie called out before Leo could get too far. He knew that letting his older brother go alone wouldn't end well. Or at the very least, it would end with Leo breaking his own moral code. “I don’t want you to do anything rash.” 

            “Thanks Don.” He forced a quick smile, but it disappeared in an instant, replaced with determination as he once again started towards the exit. “Let’s go.” 

***

            In a hushed voice Donatello pointed towards Jamison’s window where you could vaguely see Y/n silhouette curled up on the bed held tightly against a man’s chest, with a second pair of hands resting on her hips, clearly reaching over someone in the middle. “There she is.”

            “God she looks so peaceful.” The older turtle said, “I’m shocked she can sleep after what happened.”

            Donatello squinted, attempting to get a better look into the room. The dim lights did little to help, but at least they could see in, unlike every other nearby apartment that was shrouded in darkness. “It looks like there are two guys with her now.”

            “David must have come too.” Leo sighed; it was probably for the best that they were both with her. It helped ease his nerves. “He’s the one who she’s been staying with.”

            He was more than that, Leo thought to himself. Nearly every story about her personal life that Y/n shared with him involved David. They were like brother and sister, peas in a pod, some other metaphor meaning close (The turtle’s brain was filled with far too much emotion to be creative). If there was anyone in the world who he would have chosen to take care of Y/n, it would have been David. Jamison must agree with him on that front since the actor no doubt called him not long after Y/n arrived. 

            Leo squinted as he scanned the room. They hadn’t turned the lights on, leaving them slightly dimmed instead. From where he was, he could see that the person in the back was less holding Y/n and more holding onto the boy in the middle. In any other situation Leonardo probably would have smiled. It was about time those two stepped over the hurtle. Perhaps their progression towards each other would help cheer Y/n up. 

            Would that really be enough thought. What happened was no doubt awful and could have been so much worse if Donatello wasn’t there. Thinking of it again made the older turtle’s blood boil. 

            “If I ever see those creeps I'm going to kill them.” Leonardo suddenly said, his tone leaving little room for doubt.

            “Leo?”

            “They got off easy.” His older brother mumbled, his tone dripping with anger. “Getting to run and a broken arm. It’s probably good that you were there instead of me.”

            Donatello watched silently as his brother all but shook with anger. He could only imagine how he was feeling. After all, Donnie didn’t even know this girl, just that she was important to Leo, and he was beyond pissed at what he witnessed. For Leo, this was personal. He knew this girl, he cared about her. The purple turtle wondered what was making him angriest.

            Was it the fact that Y/n wasn’t with him right now? Did he feel like he could have done more to protect her? Was it that Donatello was the one to save her? Did Leo wish that he was the one following her tonight? Or was it solely the audacity of the men to even attack her in the first place. Realistically, Donnie knew it didn’t matter. Its event was over, and they couldn’t change the past even if they wanted to. All there was to do was attempt to calm down his brother. So, with a sigh, that’s what he tried to do.

            “I asked her if she wanted to come back with me.” Donatello admitted, “I was going to take her straight to you, but she said no.”

            “Oh…”

            “For the stupidest reason really.” the younger turtle continued, rolling his eyes as he thought back. “She was worried about how she looked. I mean sure, she looked like a mess, but that was to be expected. No one would expect a glamor goddess after what happened, but she was so worried about looking nice for you that she had me take her here instead.”

            Leonardo raised his head at his, looking at his brother with a wrinkled snout. “She has to know that I wouldn’t have cared.”

            “I don’t think that’s what she’s worried about.” the purple turtle shrugged.  A sparkle then came out his eyes as he looked at his big brother with a smile. “That girl really likes you Leo, no doubt she wants to be her best for you.”

            Leo wanted to smile, but the pain in his chest prevented it. He wanted to see her, he wanted to hold her, he wanted to be the one to save her, but he wasn’t, and it was killing him. “The important thing now is that she’s somewhere safe.” his head landed back on his crossed arms as he studied her sleeping form. “Still wish I could hug her right now.” 

            “You and I are both, Leonardo.” A new eerily familiar voice suddenly added. 

            Instantly the boys were on their feet with their weapons drawn. They knew that voice all too well, so they weren’t surprised when they turned to see their enemy leaning against the roof access door looking bored at her sword. The pair could only wonder how long she had been there, how long she had been listening. 

            “Karai.” Leonardo all but growled. “What do you want?”

            “Same as you apparently.” She responded. It was clear that she was trying to keep her usually sarcastic tone, but fear and irritation was bubbling through just enough to peak the turtle’s curiosity. “Fa called me from the hospital whining about how y/n broke his arm. I figured if she did that it was warranted, she’s not one for senseless violence. I came to make sure she was safe.”

Karai pushed off the door and started to approach the turtles only for them to adjust their stances. She froze in place raising her hand in surrender, being sure to keep her eyes on the turtles. She wasn’t fond of the idea of yielding to her enemies, but in this case she needed to. Besides, Y/n was more than worth it. 

            When Karai received the call tonight she instantly left her meeting with her father’s associates and started towards Y/n’s apartment building. For five minutes she banged on David’s door only to be met with no response. Frantic searching began at that point. Karai rushed to the club and followed the streets to places she knew her friend frequented until she finally made it to Jamison’s apartment. Originally, she planned to climb down and hurry through the building until she could demand access to the actor’s apartment, but instead she saw the turtles.

            Her mind then jumped to the critical information she managed to weasel out of Baxter Stockman earlier in the evening. Previously she had no plan regarding how to move forward with it, but now that they were here, she knew what she needed to do, as much as it irked her. 

            “Clearly, you don't trust me.” Karai stated, breaking the silence once again. She then tossed her sword to the ground and took a few steps back. “Temporary truce. We need to talk about something important. It’s about Y/n.”

            That got their attention. With a slow turn of his head, Leonardo glanced back towards the girl in question. His heart panged at the idea of her being in danger yet again. This time, however, he was certain that he would be the one to fix it. When his gaze turned back to Karai, who was exhibiting her expert patience despite the intense worry in her eyes, his brother took the dare to look away. Donatello’s eyes landed on his brother, soaking him in, noticing the anger in his brow, and the tinkle of fear in his eyes. It wasn’t dissimilar to his expression when Leonardo first caught on that Y/n have run into trouble.

            “Your call, Leo.” Donnie said.

            Leo’s gaze hardened but he still sheathed his swords. “What’s going on with Y/n.”

            Karai took a breath then began to explain hoping to not give away too much in her tone. “The investigation on her apartment ended today. They know she helped you. The plan is to corner her after her Saturday performance next week.”

            At the information Donnie’s grip on his bo tightened. “Why are you telling us this? Aren't you the one planning this?”

            “You're kidding right?” She scoffed, no longer bothering to hide her irritation. “I’ve been banned from everything pertaining to your escape. Father is all too aware that I do anything to protect Y/n. This decision wasn't mine. Stockman is just a pansy, so it took about three seconds for him to tell me everything.”

            “Why would you do that? You're not exactly one to choose friends over your family.” Leonardo prompted.

            “You're not the only one who's in love with that little songbird, Leonardo.” 

            The blue turtle's eyes widened, “Wait… you and Y/n?” 

            “I wish, but no.” Karai laughs bitterly. “She let me down easily. I'll give her that, but I'm not sure she even knew what I was talking about.” The sad smile on her face made it clear to the boys that Karai was thinking back on that moment with a forlorn fondness. “I digress. You need to find some way to get her away before my guys get to her next week. I would help but I’m on consent watch regarding this particular topic.”

            The brothers exchanged an uneasy glance. They weren't sure what piqued their nerves more. The fact that Karai of all people too rejection so well (if previously asked to picture what that would look like they would both assumed that the poor person who turned her down would end up at the bottom of the Hudson), or the fact that the plan to get revenge on Y/n for helping Leonardo escape was being executed by people high enough up in the foot food change for Karai to be in the dark about it. Regardless, the fact remained.

            Y/n needed to get out, and she needed to get out fast. 

            “I gave her the phone number of one of our friends to use if she needed to get away.” Donnie mentioned.

            This peaked the brothers' attention, but Karai was quick to counter. “She’ll probably need to be prompted to use it.”

            “Nearly getting raped isn’t prompting enough?”

            “No.” Both Leonardo and Karai sighed, they knew Y/n was too stubborn. 

            The blue clad turtle continued, “Even if we do prompt her, I don’t see how we’ll get her to leave David.” 

            “I’ve already taken care of that.” Karai replied. “He’s getting initiated into the clan, father wants him to leave for training after next week’s performance. The whole club is going to be shut down at least temporarily. Really that’s just our cover so no one wonders where the performers went.”

            “That’s not exactly good news Karai.” Leo glared.

            “It’s solving one of our obstacles, beggars can’t be choosers.” The girl argued, though she did agree with him. David wasn’t exactly who she would choose as a foot recruit, but he was loyal, and her father simply liked him as a person which was an extremely rare occurrence. So, as negative as it may be in the long run, at the moment it helps with the matter at hand. “Y/n and I are supposed to get lunch on Monday, I’ll tell her what I know about her apartment and encourage her to try and leave. Hopefully, it’ll be enough for her to call your friend.”

            “And we’ll handle the rest.” Leo said surely. 

            “I can’t believe I'm going to say this but thank you Karai.” Donnie said with a sigh earning his Karai’s attention.

            The woman gave him a curt nod before picking up her sword and heading towards the edge of the roof. “Anything for our girl.”

Chapter Text

         Y/n stayed at Jamison's all of Sunday, being fussed over by the boys to the point of feeling suffocated. She insisted time and time again that all she wanted, all she needed, was them to be there for her. After all, the girl planned to take the trauma inducing event and file it away until it disappeared from existence.

It was the perfect plan.

David was having none of that, instead forcing her to talk through it more times than she wanted to count. She’d recite it then cry then watch a movie. It was like clockwork all day until she finally told the story without crying. It was low budget therapy, but got the job done for now. Y/n suppose the constant build it this moment almost made it easier, as awful as that sounded. So did the fact that Donatello showed up out of nowhere to save her. The idea of having someone available to step in filled her chest with comfort.

She was still shaky, Y/n was willing to admit that much, but she didn’t want to stop her life because of this. Fa and Ito were lowly scum of the earth, she decided, someone that miserable would not ruin her life. So, when she woke up one Monday morning with an invasion to get lunch for Karai, she pried herself out of David’s arms and abandoned the men in the living room so she could get ready.

Life would go on; she would go on. She would note herself as the girl who broke a wanna be rapist’s arm, not a victim, a fighter. The label filled Y/n with pride. It made her feel stronger than she was, braver than she saw herself, almost unstoppable. Gathering the feeling she made herself look presentable. Digging through Jamison’s closet for the small bag of clothes she left with him, and beaming when she found a cute yet casual top and jeans waiting for her.

Changing fact, Y/n brushed and styled her hair, smiling in the mirror before leaving the bedroom. Rushing back to the living room she called out a goodbye as well as where she was going before either of the men could object. Purse thrown over her shoulder, Y/n almost ran down the hall to the elevator, afraid that her friends might chase her. She wanted out of the apartment. She was more than capable of going to lunch. She was strong damnit!

And she felt that way until she left the crowded streets of Jamison’s black towards a quiet street that would take her straight to her and Karai’s favorite lunch spot. The fastest way to get there was to rush through a three-block stretch in a sketchier part of the city. On a good day, this stretch made her nervous, but today the moment she passed the first alleyway, Y/n froze.

Her head turned to look down the dimly lit passage. A fire escape on the right, with a dumpster below it. Two side doors, one per building, and a dead end in the back. Near the entrance of the alley was a manhole cover that was slightly off kilter. Y/n’s eyes locked on the metal circle for a few moments as her mind scrambled.

Why did I stop? She asked herself while trying to will herself on. Why can't I move?

That's when it hit her. She was afraid. Of what? There was nothing there. That alley was empty. It was just a dark alley. It was just a… A pain shot up her back. If left like she was getting slammed against one of those brick walls, but she wasn’t near them. What the hell! This was ridiculous. Y/n looked down at her hand. She was shaking. She was afraid of the stupid alleyway.

Y/n wanted to groan in frustration, but she couldn’t. No. The fear was too much. She needed to move.

The girl dug within herself for the confidence she had found previously and used it to press on. She was almost at the restaurant. Almost somewhere with people and artificial light and most importantly, her friend. Y/n all but ran. Only two blocks left. Two blocks that felt like two miles. By the time she arrived at the restaurant, her lungs burned. That shouldn’t have been as strenuous as it was, but there was nothing she could do about it now. So, she chose an action she knew she could do. With a breath, Y/n forced a while and approached the host to acquire a table for two.

Not long after finding her seat, Y/n heard the bell of the door sing. Instantly she looked up. Strangers. Cute strangers, two women dressed in matching dresses giggling together. Y/n wonders if they are friends going out together like she and Karai are going to do. Except, she and Karai would never wear the same outfit. She was into more comfortable, lightly colored pieces while Karai was all tight fighting and edgy. Not that she was complaining. Karai gave her scary dog privileges. It made her wonder if walking past alleyways would be as hard with Karai by her side.

Y/n was still flustered by that. She wasn’t that scared of anything the first time. Was she?

Closing her eyes, Y/n tried to think back to the time after Fa assaulted her the first time in her dressing room. She tries to think of when she felt scared afterwards. When she was alone her anxieties would peak, especially in her dressing room. She remembers the weeks of calling Karai or Jamie, or even David who was next door and just leaving them on speaker while she got ready for shows. That had long worn off though. And she was never frozen in fear. That first night, when it happened and a few after David stayed over, holding her, just like he and Jamie had done the past two nights. And just then, the same as before she already felt as if she could curl up alone in her bed and be safe.

She heard the door again, breaking her thoughts.

When she looked up this time, her heart melted. It was two young looking college students. A boy and a girl, both dressed a little too nice for the establishment. They looked beyond nervous and kept exchanging short glances. Y/n even though she saw the boy reach out for the girl’s hand when they were escorted to the table only to pull away at the last minute. What a cute first date. He’s afraid to even touch her that little bit.

In that context being afraid of touch was just adorable. Her mind began to wander. That was something else that came from her first assault. Y/n backed away from everyone except for David and Karai. She wouldn’t even let Jamie’s touch her shoulder for months. Part of her wondered if that feeling would return as well. Holding knot David and Jamie felt easy enough, as did being helped by Donatello, a person… turtle, that she didn’t even know. He did save her though. Y/n wondered if she would be ok with someone she didn't know at all, or not as well, who wasn’t there, if they would be able to touch her. Or would it be like last time where her stomach curled with nausea.

The bell again. She looks up. It’s just Karai.

Wait.

Karai! Standing from her chair, Y/n lifted her hand in the air, waving it just enough to catch her friend's attention. The other woman turned to her with a relieved smile and swiftly walked to the table. Stepping out into the walkway, Y/n met her friend with a tight hug.

“Hey,” Karai mumbled into her hair before pushing Y/n back just enough to scan her face. “I heard what happened, are you okay?”

“I’m fine Karai, I swear.” Y/n managed to force a burst of laughter as she shrugged off the girl’s worry. “Seriously! You should have seen the other guy.”

“I heard.” her friend smiled, thought it was small and almost teasing. “You broke his arm? Where did that pepper come from?”

“What can I say? I’m a certified badass.” Y/n replied, a genuine smile stretching her cheeks. Karai laughed at this, giving Y/n an opportunity to step out of her arms and sit back down. “Now can we please talk about literally anything else. The past day and a half I have been being babied by the boys. I need some grown up girl bonding time.”

Following her leave, the older girl sat in the empty chair across from her, resting her elbows on the table so she could create a support for her chin with her hands. “Grown up girl bonding time? That sounds like a porno title.”

Y/n laughed so loudly that she worried she was disturbing other patrons. It seemed as if Karai was taking the request to talk about anything other than her weekend seriously. When she finally managed to calm herself, Y/n’s cheeks were tinted pink with embarrassment, a quick glance around let her know that a few people were indeed looking at her as if she was crazy. Still, it was worth it, and Karai was inclined to agree. She liked seeing Y/n happy and made it her mission to keep her that way until the last minute when she would have to execute her part of the deal with the turtles.

Today was the day Karai had to tell Y/n what she knew and the danger she was in. She needed to get Y/n to call the turtle’s friend.

But not yet.

She wanted this a bit longer. After all, Karai knew that for Y/n to fall off the map, she needed nothing keeping her there. That included Karai herself. This was their last lunch together for the foreseeable future. The last time the pair would be together. The last time she would see her best friend. And damn it, she wanted to remember her with that smile, laughing at a throw away joke.

So, as they ordered, waited for their food, and ate, the girls stayed on light topics of conversation. Anything that they could smile or laugh about. Karai rambled about a new sword, Y/n a pair of earrings she saw at a boutique. They talked about the boys, Jamie’s latest show he got cast in (Book of Mormon) , David’s attempts at learning string instruments (he’s crashing and burning), even stray cats that live outside of Karai’s apartment (She named him Neko, which Y/n said was lazy since that means she named the cat Cat.). It was easy. It was happy. It was damn near perfect.

Until Y/n looked down at her phone while laughing, making note of a new text that came in.

Davyboy: Have Karai walk you to your apartment after lunch, I have a surprise and some big news ❤️

“Walk me home?” Y/n suddenly asked, a smile still present.

“Of course,” Karai smiled. “You're still at Jamison’s right?” God she hoped the answer was yes, because if it wasn’t that means her time is up.

“Well, actually, David just texted saying he has a surprise for me at our apartment.” The younger girl said with a smile, but Karai’s expression dropped as her whole body tenses.

Y/n saw the shift in Karai’s mood in real time, causing her smile to stop. Silently, she tried to read the other girl’s mind, but got nowhere. Karai was far too busy formulating how she wanted to address this. She started by storing out the known variables.

If David went back to Happen tower, he must have seen the note on Y/n’s door letting her know that the renovations and repairs were done making it safe enough for her to move back in.  On top of that David was supposed to be contacted this morning about his promotion. No doubt he will be talking to Y/n about that when they see each other. It was now or never.

“Y/n I have to tell you something important.” Karai spoke, her tone suddenly becoming serious. Without warning she reached across the table and grabbed Y/n’s hand in her own, the way she always does when she wants to provide comfort. “You know I love you and I would never lie to you…”

Y/n eyebrows pinched together with concern. “Karai what's going on?”

“The investigation is over; they know you helped Leonardo escape.”

The other girl’s eyes widened as her mind froze. Panic rang in her ears like a dull buzz making it impossible to form anything more impressive then, “What? How?”

“I don’t know. But it gets worse.” Her friend replied, caressing the skin of her hand with her thumbs. This was for the best, she reminded herself, as she forced out her warning.  “I was contacted after what happened last Saturday from the hospital. Fa told me what went down, including that a turtle came to save you.”

“Donatello…” Y/n whispered.

“My father and his associates now know the turtles are protecting you. They are like my father’s worst enemy. It won’t be long before someone is sent to hunt you down. I’ll try my damndest to keep you safe, but you need to help me out here. Do you have somewhere you can run?”

“I…I…” she panics before looking at their purse. “I just might.”

The silence that followed was heavy, but brief since the waiter soon appeared with the check. Karai was fast to grab it, pulling out enough cash to cover the meals and tip before standing and offering a hand to Y/n. She stayed seated, staring at it for a moment before reaching out herself. She let Karai pull her from her seat, and out of the restaurant.

They walked home in silence, but with every alley they passed, Y/n found herself pressing closer to Karai until their arms were linked and Y/n was all but hugging Karai to her chest. She had to admit it to herself. She was terrified. Even more now than before. Was it because she was walking slower? Because they were passing more? Or was it just compounded due to what she knows now. Someone is hunting her down. She's on a time limit. Either run and hide herself away or suffer an unknown fate by the end of the week. They passed another alley. Y/n buried her face against Karai’s shoulder.

Her friend raised her free hand to Y/n’s hair, soothing her as they moved. Soon enough, they were outside of Happen tower. The transition to a hug was simple. Karai simply turned her body and trapped Y/n in her arms. It was the longest, tightest embrace the pair had ever shared. Y/n could feel what it was as pain shot through her chest. This was a goodbye. Karai was leaving her. Like her mother, like her father, like Francoeur. Y/n pulled the other girl impossibly closer. When they finally lessened their grip, the girls lingered at arm’s length, hands still on each other’s skin.

“Get out of here as soon as you can. They plan to get you Saturday after work.” Karai explained in a whisper. Worried that it’s her last time she’ll ever see the girl, she cups y/n cheek and pulls her forward. She wants to kiss her but changes her mind at the last minute and instead presses a kiss on her cheek though the corners of their mouths graze, the proof of it shown in the mark left by Karai’s lipstick. “Promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“I promise Karai, thank you for everything.”

A final squeeze of their hands was the final goodbye before Y/n entered the apartment complex and rushed to the elevators. He bounced on her toes the entire ride, trying to shake away her anxieties enough to force a smile for David. She needed to pretend to be ok, to leave him out of this until the last minute. She loved him too much to let him get involved. He thought the man made her heart clench harder. He would be the hardest to leave. After all, David was her only family left. Without him, she would officially be alone.

The thought caused her body to stiffen and ultimately freeze. It was like the alley all over again. She was afraid. Afraid of being alone.

Before that thought could settle too deeply in her mind, the elevator doors slid open. David was waiting right outside the life with a large smile stretching his cheeks. Without a word he grabbed Y/n's wrist, yanking her into the hall before going behind her and covering the girl’s eyes. With simply prompting, she began to follow his lead, walking down the hall, the familiar way to their apartment doors. Patiently she waited silently as David rearranged himself to cover her eye with an arm as he reached for something. She heard a buzz followed by a cheerful ding, then David's arm moved away from y/n’s eyes.

She inhaled sharply as she saw herself staring into her apartment, perfectly cleaned, and organized as if she had never left in the first place. Complete with the throw blanket she brought to David's tossed over the back of her couch. The repairs were done. It was ready for her to move back in. She knew where she was, this was her space. Yet it felt like a different planet.

“Ta-da! A completely fixed apartment!” David beamed then led Y/n into the place she previously called home. “Best part! All you gotta do is call and I'll be right over. My thumb print is already in the new keypad!”

Y/n giggled a bit at his excitement. “Why call? I can literally just cross the hall.”

David suddenly went quiet as his grip around Y/n tightened. For a fleeting moment she could see his face before the man looked away, his expression made her stomach drop. She had seen this just minutes before. Karai had reacted this way at the restaurant.

David had bad news.

Y/n waited anxiously, staring at her friend, trying to prepare herself for whatever was to come. She was so focused on preparing herself, that she physically jumped when David spoke again.

“I… got a message today.” He started, adjusting his grip to hold Y/n flat against his chest. A more secure grip that caused anxiety to shoot through her. From here, it would be difficult to run. “I’m getting promoted. Really, I'm not sure. It was a message directly from Mr. Okoru. He’s sending me to attend a training camp I think. I um… leave Sunday morning.”

Silence. That was the only reply he got. Y/n couldn't find any words. Her mind stopped, heart racing in her ears. The only family she had left… was leaving too. She was completely alone. Suddenly the arms she was being held in felt foreign. Nausea swam in her gut. She wanted to get away. She had to get away. Y/n didn’t want him to touch her. Forcing her mind to focus she said the only words she could manage after struggling just enough for David to loosen his grip.

“Get out…” Y/n finally whispered while pushing out of his arms.

“y/n.” David’s voice was already broken. It only took two words. Or was it that fact that Y/n couldn’t meet his eyes anymore.

“Get out.” She said louder before falling into a crouch on the floor. Arms wrapped tightly around her middle while she screamed. “Get out! Get out! Get out of my house!”

“Wait Y/n, hold on a second.” David tried to lower himself to her level, hand hovering over her shoulder as he tried to talk. “I know you're upset but…”

Y/n’s head whipped up giving her friend a clear view of her reddened cheeks streaked with uncontrolled tears. “I said get out David! If you want to leave so badly then don’t waste time wading around here. Just go!”

The man jumped back at what he saw. Y/n looked so broken. He wondered if this was really all because of him or if there was more going on. WAs the weight of Saturday night contributing? He couldn’t tell, but he knew that he wouldn't make any ground with her in this state. So hesitantly he rose to his feet and backed towards the door.

“I’m sorry,” David whispered as he finally left the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

In an instant, Y/n was on her feet and began to pace nails digging painfully into her arms. She was weak. She was scared. She was an orphan. She had no parents, no family, and now her friends were leaving one by one. She was alone. Y/n pulled at her hair, eyes clamping shut as she felt tears fall down her cheeks. This was too much. It’s been too much. Working for the mafia! What was she thinking!? She should have left when she still could. She should have never accepted the gifts, any of them, especially not Leonardo. He was human, sorta, in a way. Not some little tank turtle, not that she would have been prepared to care for a tank turtle anyhow. What kinda crazy person just randomly buys pets for people, or kidnap in this case she supposed, but that was beside the point. It was irresponsible.

Almost as irresponsible as helping your pets run away into the night. But Leo wasn't a pet, he was a roommate. But should she really have let a roommate leave in the middle of the night through a fucking window? NO! But she did. Why? Well because when you love something you let it go, right? Did she love Leonardo? She had no fucking clue, but he was her friend, and she cared about his happiness, happiness that shouldn't have been found here. So, she should have never moped for letting him go! She should have never been upset about it to the point of threatening Fa, and definitely shouldn’t have followed through.

Then again, Fa shouldn’t have tried to assault her. Who was the real asshole here? HIM OBVIOUSLY! Jesus fucking Christ what was her point, Y/n huffed stopping her pacing as she tried to find where this started.

With TCRI. Losing that job, that explosion. Or was it farther back than that. Maybe when she was offered that job while signing the papers her father requested in his will. Papers that allowed TCRI to use his body for research. The man instantly invited her to work as an intern. Really inconsiderate timing, but she needed to keep busy, distract herself. That was where she messed up. All the way back in her senior year of college, nothing more than a dumb kid, hardly eighteen years old, mourning her father, wanting something, anything to keep her distracted. If she had chosen any other internship she could still be using her degree that she worked so hard for, still be making her father proud, living a normal life with no mafia, no goons, and no giant turtles taking over her mind.

Distraction! Her mind finally shouted at her. Y/n needed a distraction now! She was spiraling. Food, she decided. Was she hungry? No. Lunch was more than enough to hold her over, but God stress eating had some sort of magic she could really use right now. So, forcing herself towards the kitchen Y/n prayed that the repair guys had the common decency not to raid her cabinet. When she opened the first door however, she kind of wished they would have.

Right in the front of the cabinet were two opened boxes of tea bags. Y/n hated tea. No matter how many times people insisted she had some, claiming they could make it in a way she would enjoy the girl never did. This tea was Leonardo’s. He added it to her shopping list the first time they sent it out. Green tea for the day, chamomile for the night. Reaching out she picked up the box of green tea and scowled. A voice in the back of her mind wanted her to cradle the box of teabags to her chest like a stuffed toy. It tried to convince her that the smell would bring the same comfort sitting beside Leonardo on the couch provided. No, she argued with herself, that’s too sad.

If she wanted Leo, she would reach out to the one person who could help her get in contact with him. Help her escape the hell of her own making. Placing the box on the counter, Y/n fished her phone from her back pocket while rushing back to where her purse was thrown on the coffee table. Frantically she dug around until she found the index card Donatello gave her. Wasting no time Y/n dialed the number, bringing the device to her ear, listening to it ring.

And ring

And ring

And “Hello?” Her eyes widened when the dull tone was interrupted by the curious voice of a young woman.

“Um…hi, is this?” Y/n glanced down at the card in her hand, squinting to read the hastily written name on the top corner. “A-April?”

“Yes?” the woman, April, asked in response. “May I ask who’s calling.”

“Oh! Right! I’m Y/n.” the other woman answered fast. That wasn’t really an explanation though, so taking a breath the singer prepared to elaborate. “Um…Francoeur’s, no wait, Leonardo's...”

Before she could finish her thought, April interrupted her with a newfound energy. “Holy Shit! Your Leo’s Y/n?!”

She blushes at the idea of being Leo’s but managed to respond. “He um… talks about me?”

There was a moment of silence before the woman relaxed a bout of uncomfortable laughter. “Well… he’s kinda sketchy about it but he has told a lot about you.” She explained quickly only to loudly clear her throat. “Anyway… how did you get my number”

“Donatello gave it to me. He told me to call you when I was… um…” Great, this girl seemed completely in the dark. Y/n was really hoping that one of the turtles would have at least mentioned that they had given her April’s number, but apparently not. The singer tried to formulate a good way to explain without being overbearing, after all she’s never met this woman. Biting the bullet, she chose a short and sweet explanation. “When I was ready to leave.”

“Oh? Oh...” there was a glimmer of understanding in April’s tone which gave Y/n hope. Maybe the turtles hadn’t kept her completely in the dark. “Ok. Operation ‘Leaving the Nest’ is a go!”

Or she wasn’t in the dark at all. “You have a code name for this?” Y/n asked.

April all but snorted. “Of course, we have to plan in advance with this crowd. Don’t worry you’ll adjust fast.”

Together, the girls went over the plan. Tomorrow Y/n and April will meet up for lunch, Y/n should bring something small that has important items to her in it. Pictures or music or anything like that. A small bag they can pass off without looking suspicious. It would also give them a chance to meet.

By Wednesday she would need a large cardboard box packed full of anything else she wants. Aprils said she’d send another friend, some guy, to meet her outside a donation center. Y/n will bring that box to him, and he’ll bring it to the turtle’s lair as she was calling it. It will look like a large donation to her apartment’s cameras. Hopefully, the two steps will be enough to get everything she might need out.

Y/n was prompted to leave on Thursday, but she instead asked to have until Friday. If David was being sent away, she wanted at least one more performance with him. April was hesitant, but the extra push to have time for Yn’s personal affairs, specifically sorting out her money situation, helped her case. April agreed to Friday. She would pick her up from the club after work with at least one turtle, if not more. After that, she will be off the map, off the grid. Her phone will be broken, and Y/n would disappear into the night.

In total Y/n would have to pack up her life in a small bag, two if she felt like she could bring one with her to work without raising any eyebrows, and one box. It would certainly be downsizing, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, she had nothing to lose, and her life to protect. This is important.

April said she’d fill the boys in so that they are prepared for her arrival, then hung up the phone with a final promise to meet her at a noodle shop in Chinatown tomorrow afternoon. The line went dead before Y/n could move her cell from ear.  This was it. Her life was changing forever and there was only one thing on her mind.

She needed to apologize to David for shouting and kicking him out. Stealing her nerve, she crossed the hall to do just that. Tying the first loose end of her life so that when Friday comes she will be ready.

Chapter Text

            After returning home from David’s, Y/n began to frantically scurry around her apartment taking inventory of all of her possessions. One by one she gave the items a rating from 1 to 10. The throw blanket, 5, photos of her parents 10, jiu jitsu belt 7, diplomas 8, performance gowns 1. Anything five and up had a chance of coming with her, but only eight and up items were guaranteed. With that in mind she started to collect. First she went to her living room and opened her DVD binder case. There were empty pockets that she never used and some extra space that she could wiggle things into. Once zipped, however, it just looked like an accordion folder. The perfect thing to bring to April at lunch.

            The DVDs themselves rated at a solid 7. She loved them, and movies were probably one of her top hobbies. Inside, she figured she’s but some photos of her parents and childhood, as well as her diplomas. Once out of the frames, none of those things would take up space. Her eyes then moved to the single mess pocket. It was spacious. If she could, maybe she’ll tuck her black belt into there. 

            Y/n nodded to herself and began to move. Starting in her office she collected up a few picture frames and began slipping out the portraits they protected. Next she went into her bedroom. Starting with the frame on her vanity, she grabbed the picture and smiled. It was her and her friends after one of Jamie’s shows. They had decided that day to dress fancy to see the performance. One of Jamie’s cast mates took a picture of them standing in front of the Moulin Rouge sign as soon as the show ended. In the background were crowds of people rushing around the streets, but they were easy to ignore. Afterall, they all looked so happy. The actual, perfectly taken image, was on display at Karai’s place, but here was a bit of a blooper. 

            Being her luck, the wind started to blow as soon as the picture was taken. Before the snap went off Y/n and Karai had both gone for the singing legs. Laughing they are holding the skirt of her dress down. Her hair, which was loose and curled blew wildly in David’s face, but you could still see his wide smile as he pointed towards the girls laughing. Jamie was laughing just as hard as he clenched over holding his stomach. Karai was smiling as she looked at Y/n, the girls’ heads nearly together as they worked to fight the wind.

            A sad smile made its way onto Y/n’s cheeks as she removed it from the frame and stacked it with the others. Somehow, in the matter of a few hours, a ticking clock on her friendships had appeared over her head, taunting her. During her talk with David, she hadn’t said a word about her own leaving, instead allowing the man to talk about what he’s supposed to pack for his training camp. He filled any silence with apologies towards her and promised to reach out. A fair impression of Karai’s lipstick still hung on her cheek from her friend's final goodbye. Only Jamie was left, and Y/n wasn't sure if she could bring herself to reach out. He would already have to deal with David up and leaving, he was bettering in the dark about her, Y/n rationalized 

            Shaking her head Y/n went to her bedside table and grabbed the family phone she had there, adding it to the stack before finally moving to stand on her bed. Silently she worked to take her degrees off the wall as well and her black belt. That was everything she wanted for the first exchange. Nodding to herself, Y/n prepared to take the items to the living room only to hesitate then she opened her bedroom door. With her hall light off, Y/n found herself staring straight again at the red dot of a camera that pointed at the door for her master bedroom. In an instant she felt caught. She hadn't even done anything yet.

            Still, the girl backed up and slammed the door faster than she ever had before. She and her possessions to her chest as her mind raced. How am I supposed to do this? She wonders, there are cameras almost everywhere. Her heart raced. Those cameras had to be what had gotten her in trouble in the first place. They saw everything.

            They saw Leonardo’s brothers break in; they watched as they didn’t hurt her. They watched as Leonardo stepped in, protecting her. They saw that they almost… Y/n shook her head violently. The point. Whoever had access to those tapes, would be able to see her packing up her things. She needed to think smart. Her eyes darted around her bedroom. Before the renovations this room was clear of cameras. If that was still true, this could be one of her only safe places to move. Y/n set her items down on her bed before going to leave her room again, trying to avoid eye contact with the camera as she went to the living room to pick up her DVD case and bring it into her bedroom with her, she would pack it in there. 

            Shutting her door, Y/n found herself fighting the judge to lock it. There was a creeping feeling rushing up her spine as if the camera would suddenly grow legs and chase her. It made her feel trapped and alone. Honestly, a very similar feeling to the one she used to feel in her dressing room. As if on instinct, Y/n reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Before she could go to call someone, however, she froze looking at her lock screen with a smile. 

            “I wish I could call you,” Y/n muttered to herself, her thumb gliding on the image of her and Leonardo sitting together. She was sure talking to home could ease her nerves. 

            Maybe he would tell her about where she was going to stay, or what he had been up to with his brothers. He could give advice about what things to pack, how to sneak around the cameras. Or maybe, they could just talk about Star Wars of Space Heroes or anything to keep her mind busy. That's really what she needed. She shook her head again. It was Monday night. Only about four days left before she could see him again, in person, and then they would be able to talk about anything they wanted for as long as they wanted. That was the motivation she clung to as Y/n finally walked back to her bed and began to strategically pack up her DVD case.

***

            The next day in the early afternoon, Y/n wandered through Chinatown until she found a small Japanese restaurant near the corner of Elizabeth Street and Canal. Checking her phone, she noted that this was in fact the right place. It was cute with a simple name, 24/7. Stealing her breath, Y/n tightened her grip on her DVD case before approaching the building. As she pushed open the door, her phone pinged again. 

            April: I’m here and ordered for you. Mr. Murakami has a special dish you need to try. 😁

            The singer smiled at the message before tucking her phone away and looking around. The inside of the restaurant was small too. The walls were all exposed brick with traditional Japanese art decorating them. The only seating was around a bar, in the center of which was the kitchen where a single man was working. At the sound of the entrance bell, he looked up with a smile only to turn back to his task a moment later. Y/n returned the smile, even if he didn’t acknowledge it before scanning the small space again. 

            There was only one customer, a young woman about her age with red hair pulled back in a short ponytail. That must be here, Y/n thought to herself then approached. Once she was close enough, she cleared her throat, making the woman look up from her….was that a brick phone? 

            “April?” Y/n asked, forcing her eyes away from the odd green box to meet the other woman’s eyes.

            The woman looked up at the sound of her name, eyes sparkling. “You must be Y/n! It’s so great to meet you.” 

            “It’s nice to meet you too.” Both women shook hands before Y/n sat down on a stool beside the redhead. “So, um… what did you order?”

            “Pizza Gyoza.” The red head smiled, earning herself a confused look from the woman beside her. Y/n had heard of gyoza before but had only ever had them with pork and cabbage in them, neither of which screamed pizza. April was quick to catch her confusion, and wasted no time to explain, “It’s a pizza pot sticker, Mr. Murakami invented it for the guys after they saved his life a few years back.”

            “The guys? You mean… Francoeur and his brothers?” Y/n asked, thinking back to how when he could talk, the first meal her turtle had asked for had been pizza, so having a pizza flavored potsticker made for him kinda tracked. It did lead to another question, however as Y/n looked back towards the chef who was cooking nearby. “Wait but why didn’t he, ya know, freak?”

            “Why didn't you?” 

            Y/n froze for a moment. She could feel her eyes go a bit wide as she realized that she never really thought about that. In hindsight, she probably should have freaked out more. A giant turtle quite literally thrown at her feet and all she could do was mentioned that he was big. She knew turtles never actually stopped growing, so her first guess was that he was just old. Then he looked at her… and she knew he was different. But still she wasn't scared. 

            Maybe she was just worried about nursing him back to health. That made sense in a way. Maternal instincts or something? But then again, Y/n didn’t even freak when she found out that Leonardo wasn’t just anthropomorphic but was a ninja. No. Anger was the stronger emotion then. She was too mad at Karai to be freaked out. 

            Really the only time she was freaked out or scared while taking care of Leonardo was when he was leaving. And it wasn't Leo that scared her, it was his brother in red. And it wasn’t the fact that he was a turtle that scared her. It was the fact that he genuinely seemed like he wanted to hurt her, and probably would have if Leonardo hadn’t stepped in. 

            Anxiety bubbled in her stomach as she realized that April was still waiting patiently for her answer. Y/n then began scrambling to find the right words, fiddling with her fingers as she turned to stare down at the counter. 

            “Oh well, um, I was surprised that he was so big. I mean. I had never seen such a large turtle with human proportions, but he needed help and I guess that just over road my panic then I got used to him before I even saw his brothers so freaking out just didn't come to mind. Should it have? I mean, I was shocked when I found out about the ninja thing too, but it wasn't like, scared freak out, more like, no way in hell freaks out. But I mean I…”April suddenly began to giggle causing Y/n to quickly shut her mouth and look away. She was rambling. “Sorry…”

            “No, no, you're alright, Leo said you tend to ramble when you're nervous.” The other woman explained as she rested her elbows on the counter, laughing a bit more as a memory flashed through her mind. “You should have seen his face when I told him we were getting lunch. He tried to talk me into moving the time so he could come too.” 

            Y/n’s train of thought came to a screeching halt as her heartbeat heavily in her ears. “He…wants to see me?”

            “Of course.” April hummed. “Do you want to see him?”

            “More than anything…” The singer breathed out before relaxing what she had said. She thought back to the feelings she experienced when she remembered the cameras in her apartment. How much she wanted to call him, see him, hold him. She wanted the comfort he provided her with. Wrapping her arms around herself, Y/n hugged herself tightly. “It’s been a…stressful few days.” 

            April placed a gentle hand on Y/n’s shoulder making her just and look back at the other woman. Her stomach bubbled with discomfort, but she forced herself not to move April’s hand. After all, the woman's face was understanding. She wasn't trying to make her uncomfortable, quite the opposite in fact. Her mind then began to wonder. 

            Will I feel this way when I finally get to be with Francoeur again?

            The red head gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Everything will work out. I promise. You're one of us now, as we stick together.” The pair exchanged quick yet concerned smiles before April squeezed her shoulder again straightening her posture to beam. “So! Do you have your bag?”

            Thankful to the subject change, Y/n managed to sit a little straighter as she reached towards the case she placed at her feet. “Yeah, here you go!”

April looked at the binder curiously when Y/n handed it to her before looking at the other woman with a raised eyebrow. “Is this a CD binder?”

            “Technically yes,” Y/n giggled, her finger reaching out to run across the top of the case. “But I use it to store my movies. I also slid in the pictures and some more personal things I wanted to keep with me, so please be careful with it.” 

            “Of course,” April replied, placing the case by her own feet now. “I’ll take it right down to the lair after we eat.” Y/n smiled to show her appreciation before the women both turned to lean on the counter, heading towards each other as they continued to chat. “Leo has already started moving stuff around so there will be space for your things. I’m sure he’ll have somewhere to keep this safe.”

            Suddenly a new feeling burst to life within Y/n’s stomach, this one also affecting her heart. Rather than  anxiety it was a subtle fluttering. Warm, and comforting. Y/n recognized this feeling. It was one she hadn’t felt in a very long feeling. It was the feeling that came alone with a crush, and in this instance it was spurred to life at the idea of Leonardo putting in effort for her. He was making room for her in his life in a literal sense. Preparing for her arrival in ways that she wouldn’t have expected him to.

            The idea made her feel wanted. Not only that, but it also made her feel like she wanted him. It was the fluttering of new life being thrusted into her emotions. No denying it now. She had a crush on the terrapin. Her mind released a calming sigh at the idea. It was actually quite pleasant, like a glimmer of hope in this otherwise stressful time in her life. Maybe in a world that was a little less chaotic or that the turtle actually liked her back, it would be worth pursuing. But then again. A less chaotic world would probably mean that they had never met in the first place. Maybe it's just best to not speculate the what ifs and simply enjoy the positive feeling while it lasts.

            “Good.” The singer chirped. Ultimately it was just nice to know that her things would be somewhere safe.

            Before either woman could continue their conversation, the chef approached placing down two trays with about a dozen little dumplings neatly lined up. “Pizza Gyoza!” 

            “Thank you Murakami-San.” April replied with a small bow.

            “Yes, thank you sir.” 

            As soon as the chef turned back to his kitchen April picked up her first dumpling and urged Y/n to do the same. “Well, go ahead!”

            Y/n looked at the gyoza a moment longer before picking up her chopsticks and grabbed a dumpling. Curious she bit into it, only for her eyes to widen. This. Was. AMAZING! The filling was made up of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese ground together into a perfectly sized mixture. The cheese was perfectly melted and even had a slight pull as she tugged away the second half of the dumpling. Her first and only coherent thought was, that's it I’m figuring out how the hell to make this. 

            “What the hell! It’s like a pizza dumpling!” Y/n exclaimed as she quickly shoved the rest of the dumpling into her mouth. “This is the greatest thing I've tasted in so long!”

            “I know right!” April giggled, “Donnie had to practically force me to eat my first one, but now I can never go back to my old order.” 

            “You sound close,” the singer smiled as she picked up her next gyoza. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are they all like? Fran- Leonardo, and his brothers.” 

            April took to the request with pride. Going youngest to oldest, she started with Michelangelo. The woman explained how he was energetic and fun loving. Quick with a joke, and always up to go out and have a good time. Whether it be video games or skateboarding, or just coexisting while reading comics Mikey was happy to spend time with those he cared about. The orange clad turtle was also the only one allowed to cook, though if you let him experiment things tended to go a bit haywire. 

            The only turtle who was any good at experimentation was the younger of the middle children, Donatello. Y/n mention that she had already met him, noting that he wore purple and fought with a staff. April was eager to add in more detail. He was a scientist and an engineer. Could fix just about anything and if it was beyond repair the purple turtle would try to reinvent it bigger and better than ever before. The redhead also fondly mentioned that he was a bit of a romantic. 

            Next, was the red wearing turtle, Raphael. Y/n was a bit worried about him. April was quick to admit that he was a hot head, and overprotective. She explained that he tended to pick fights and act a bit like a brooding teen, but he did deeply care about his brothers. Raphael was also the one who liked to push people to be the best they could be, even if it came in the form of tough love.

            Finally, April arrived at the leader in blue. As soon as his name passed her lips, Y/n could feel her smile forming. April of course, took notice of this. She explained that Leonardo was a natural born leader. He was honorable and brave and always put his family before himself. At times thought, he could be narrow minded, a ‘my way or the hi-way type’ the redhead explained. That hardly surprised Y/n. In fact, it lined up quite well with the image of the turtle she had formed in their few short weeks together. 

            “They sound so wonderful, and fun.” Y/n hummed. “How did you meet them?”

            “Same way most people run into the turtles I guess,” April shrugged as she picked up her next dumpling. “They saved me and my dad from the Kraang.” 

            “Kraang?”

            April let out a short humorless laugh. “You’re lucky you don’t know.” 

            There was a moment of silence, but a sweet smile and tilt of her head was all Y/n needed to encourage the other woman to go on. 

            “The Kraang are an alien race, they are plotting something, but we can’t quite figure out the end game. In the beginning they were kidnapping scientists of all kinds. My father included. The turtles came and saved me. It took a little over a year, but eventually we got my dad home too.” the red head explained sadly, her food now became more of a toy than anything as she poked at it with her chopsticks. “With all of that going on, we managed to get close. They are my family now. I’m sure, before too long, you’ll feel the same way too.” 

            Y/n smiled fondly in April's direction before bringing a welcome change to the conversations, prompting April to tell her about herself. The red head explained that she was in her final year of journalism school and excited to be able to start working as a reporter once she graduated. She also talked about how she had been training with master splinter, the turtle’s father, for nearly six years now, having started when she was sixteen years old. This of course, led Y/n to talking about her own jiu jitsu training, going as far as letting April take her black belt out of her DVD case to look at. 

            The singer talked about how her dad insisted she know how to protect herself. She then talked about her time as a scientist before answering the looming question of, how the hell did she end up at that club. Y/n vaguely explained how her old workplace suffered a chemical explosion that she ultimately got blamed for, leaving her jobless. This opening, and David’s persuasion brought her to the club audition and the rest was history. Similar small talk was exchanged before Y/n paid for both of their meals, much to April's protest, and the pair left.  

            “It was great to meet you.” April reiterated as they stood together outside of the restaurant. 

            “You too, April.” Y/n smiled. “Thank you again for all of this.”

            “Of course,” she replied. “Now remember, meet Casey downtown at eleven thirty, I’ll text you the address. I’ll send you his picture, but he’s kinda hard to miss if I'm being honest.”

            “Okay,” The singer nodded. “Um… tell the guys I said Hi?”

            She earned herself a nod in return before April turned to walk the opposite direction with a single hand raised. “Get home safe.”

***

            The next morning, Y/n was quick to gather up all of the clothes she wanted to bring with her during her escape, once again being sure to pack while in her bedroom. So, an extra bit of security, the girl took a large sharpie to the side of the box and wrote ‘DONATIONS’ in bold print. Two weeks’ worth of clothes were folded and placed inside along with pajama’s fuzzy socks, extra shoes. She even took her favorite throw blanket and nuzzled it in the limited remaining space she had. 

            When she had finished, the girl took a quick look around her apartment only to sigh. There was a lot she was leaving behind, but she had too. Grabbing too much would raise suspicion. Not only that, but this was definitely a pack light situation. In the bottom of the box was a soft sided, collapsible suitcase that was serving a double layer protection for some sentimental jewelry and loose cash she kept hidden in various locations around her apartment. Gathering it up reminded her that tomorrow she would need to go to the bank and transfer her earnings for the club into her private account. 

            Thanks to her inheritance she already had plenty of money. Almost enough for her to live off of indefinitely if she remained frugal, but Y/n didn’t want that. She wanted to work, to make something of herself. Though she was smart enough to know that that won’t be an option for a while. She’ll mostly be completely hidden away for months in order to assure her safety. Y/n was going to fall off of the map. The money that she had thanks to her family was a blessing. 

            After lunch, Y/n grabbed her box and left the apartment, wandering the few blocks to the donation center that April said her friend would be waiting for her. Other than that, Y/n was given little information. After some prodding earlier in the morning the singer managed to get April to send a picture of her friend to her, so when Y/n approached the location he pulled up the image. She was looking for a skinny man with black hair and brown eyes, talk about generic. April did say however, that he would probably be wearing roller skates. 

            Armed with this information the singer scanned the crowd. Eventually someone caught her eye. A tall man with black hair looking down at a green brick phone just like the one April had at the restaurant. That had to be him. Moving fast, Y/n approached clearing her throat to get his attention.

            “Excuse me? Are you a volunteer here?”

            The man smiled at her, though it was more of a flirtatious smirk, as he lowered his phone. “Ha, no way girly, I’m waiting on a friend.”

            “I see,” she hummed, giving him a once over. He looked like the right guy, skates and all, though it looked as if only one of his sneakers had wheels. “You're Casey Jones, right?” 

            “The man, the myth, the legend.” His smirk only grew. The man then pushed off the wall and kicked the back of his sneaker with no wheels. He hit some sort of button that made a set of wheels pop out for the soles before he carefully set his foot down, not even teetering. “I’m guessing your Y/n then.”

            “The artist formerly known as a scientist, yep.” Y/n replied with a slight cringe. “Ok that wasn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be.”

            Luckily Casey just laughed. He was certainly easy going, or maybe just didn't want to embarrass her. Either way, Y/n was thankful. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell your boyfriend, Pidge.” 

            Pidge, she smiled at the nickname. It was as if he was just willing to accept her out right, already comfortable. Like she had always been there. It was sweet. “Not my boyfriend, but I appreciate that.” 

            “Whatever you say.” The man shrugged his smile, turning a bit teasing. Casey then placed his hands on the bottom of the box Y/n was holding and pulled it from her grasp. “Now why don’t I take these donations off your hands.”

            “Right, thank you.” The conversation then died. Not wanting things to become awkward Y/n lifted a hand to wave goodbye. 

            “Oh, one more thing Pidge.” Casey called out when Y/n turned to walk away. “Take a picture of your shampoos and stuff then send it to April. Leo is insisting we have all your favorite products down below, so you feel at home.”

            Y/n froze when she heard him. Turning back toward Casey with a smile, butterflies once again came to life in her stomach as she thought of Leonardo doing all of this for her. “That's… really sweet of him.”

            “Yeah, you’ve really got the guy wrapped around your finger.” Casey laughed. “See ya this weekend, Pidge.” 

            “Nice to meet you!” She called out, then finally walked away with a smile.

            I hope he knows Pigeons aren’t songbirds. 

            Y/n stayed out a bit longer grabbing herself lunch at one of her favorite spots, justifying it by noting that she may not get the chance to do so for a while. She then starts preparing a list of final things she needs to get done. Send the picture to April, pack a bag to bring to work, collect any last-minute items, rehearsal tonight, then the performance tomorrow. After that, she’ll be gone. 

            By the time she got back to the apartment, it was most time for rehearsal. So instead of going into her own door she goes to David’s. She knew there were still a few hard feelings between them. Not only was she still upset about his leaving, but he was rightfully upset with her reaction. So instead of simply inputting the code and walking in, Y/n chose to knock. It only took a few moments before David opened with a kind smile.

            Eagerly the man led her inside, and instantly something caught her eye. In David’s living room was a huge blanket fort along with a stack of movies and a case of her favorite soda. Curious she looked at her friend, her own smile hinting at her cheeks.

            “What’s this?” She asked.

            “A surprise.” He explained simply, while reaching out to squeeze her shoulders. “For us to enjoy ourselves after practice. Go out with a final hurrah right?”

            “Yeah… I’d like that.” she hummed then followed him towards his office for them to practice the set for this weekend. 

            As she moved Y/n noted pleasantly that his anxiety was gone with him already. It made sense. David was her brother. Her protector. She was certain that even after all of this, if they were ever to meet again when it’s over, which she hopes they will, they will still be family. They found each other, and now their hearts would never let go. No matter how life pulled at them.

            Once they are in the office the pair sat together on the piano bench, and David sent her the printed set lift that Mr. Okoru had sent to him. That’s life, it’s been a long long time, I’ve got a crush on you (is new), sway (the rosemary Clooney version, and my way. A standard set. With only one new song to learn. This should be an easy day, Y/n noted. Which just means more time for their movie night.

            As expected, learning the new song and practicing the old one only took them an hour and a half. After two perfect run-throughs of I’ve got a Crush on you, the pair called it a night and rushed to the living room. David was quick to put a movie in the player while Y/n called for a pizza to be delivered. They then curled up together and enjoyed their night of pizza, movies and most importantly peace.

            When the second movie came out a close, and Y/n prepared to leave, she knew she had to tell David what she was planning. Sitting up, she grabbed his hand and whispered his name. Instantly she had David’s attention.

“I’m going to find Francoeur.” she explained, voice hardly breaking a whisper. “After Donatello saved me he gave me a phone number to use when I felt ready to leave…everything. When you told me you were leaving I figured, there was no reason for me to stay anymore. So, I used the number. I’m leaving after the performance on Friday.”

            “Oh…” 

            Y/n looked away, not wanting to see how her friend was reacting. “You can be angry with me, I’d understand.”

            “No, I'm not angry.” David said simply. “I’m actually really proud of you.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah, it’s high time you do something for yourself, chickadee.” The man smiled earning himself a pinched gaze while Y/n processed what he was implying. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you're self-aware enough to know what I’m talking about. Everything you’ve ever done has been for other people. You got science degrees for your father, you took this job for me, hell you even let your apartment get completely wrecked for Leonardo. But this, leaving this world of ours, that's for you. And I think it’s just what you need.” 

            “So, you don’t think I'm being crazy, and impulsive, and reckless?” 

            David started to laugh. “Now I never said that.”

            Y/n’s jaw dropped as she started to laugh along with him, punching his shoulder good heartedly. “Jerk!” 

***

            Thursday morning Y/n rushed to the bank and made sure to get all of her money in order. The account she opened for her club paychecks was closed and everything was moved to a private account. A dozen signatures and a new debit card later, Y/n was finally able to leave and return to her apartment.

            It was laundry day, so, even though she knew all of the clothes she was cleaning would be left, the singer chose to go about her day as usual. It’ll help with the cameras she told herself, though truly, it was helping with her own nerves. This was her last night in her own apartment before running off the lair, wherever that was. At least she would be with Francoeur, she reminded herself over and over again. Of course, laundry would only distract her for a little while, and before long Y/n found herself in her own office, playing out the melodies of tomorrow’s setlist while humming to herself.

            David had taught her the basics of the piano, and she used to watch her father play, but it truly was not her instrument. No. Y/n’s true instrumental ability lies in the guitar, just like her mother.  Her eyes darted to the guitar that sat Italy in its stand. It had been one of the many items she would leave behind. It wasn't anything sentimental, and she rarely played it nowadays, so it seems like an obvious choice. Even so, her mind wanted back to the times she could play it and think of her mother. Music always made her feel closer to mother, more so than anything else.

            Even now as she plucked at the keys, she could almost hear her mother’s voice in her ear congratulating her. It was soon followed by a memory of her father; he was telling her the correct keys to hit. G, A, B, D, B, D, her father instructed, and Y/n quickly followed. Her mother's praise reverberated once again. IT felt so real. As if she could turn her head and see her parents on either side of her. That wasn’t true though. No. They were gone. 

            Shutting her eyes Y/n tried to focus on the feeling of them beside her as if it would make them appear. “I miss you both.” she whimpers. 

            “We know, sweet girl, but you always know how to feel close to us.” her mother spoke again, as Y/n’s hand felt pulled back to the keys.

            She played out a new note pattern as her father instructed. D, D, D, C#, C, B, E, G, F#, A, G. IT was a familiar tone. The start of the chorus of her mother’s favorite song to sing on stage.

            “Perfect,” her father hums in her ear. “You're so talented, all from your mother truly.” 

            “Thank you,” Y/n whimpered again while playing the next notes on her own. F#, E, F#, G, B, A, G, F#. “Thank you for the...music.'' 

            Instantly, Y/n has an idea. One that at any other performance she would scrap under the pretense of it being too risky. Not this time. This was her last shot. David said she needed to do something for herself, and this would be it. And it wouldn’t only be for her. No. She wasn’t the first to fall in love with this piece. Falling to her knees, she began digging though the piano bench until she found the proper sheet music. Wasting no time, Y/n rushed out of her apartment and started to bang on David’s door, begging him to open. 

            When he opens up he’s confused as to what she’s here, but Y/n just smiled while bringing one hand to hastily wipe away a line of tears from her cheek. “We need to make a set change.”

            “A set changes?” The man questioned, eyeing the girl curiously. 

            “Yes. I want to sing this.” She handed over the sheet music for David to look over while attempting to keep her smile from growing too large. She was proud of herself, and despite her words, she knew that this was for her. Finally facing the final fear that linked from her first assault. Finally disobeying her boss. “For my mother.” 

            Rather than a verbal response, David simply smiled and grabbed his friend's wrist, pulling her into his apartment so that they could start practicing the song. 

Chapter Text

            Leo was getting antsy. As soon as they get home from their surprise meeting with Karai, nerves start to prick to life under his scales. What if she didn’t agree to leave, what if Karai wasn't convincing enough. Would it be inappropriate to just show up outside of the club on Saturday to save her? His first thought was, no, this was the job. Protect the innocent from Shredder and his goons, but then again Y/n was different. He knew her and knew this was coming. On top of that, she technically works for the Shredder. Another complication that came with the fact that this was Y/n he was keeping safe was how they usually worked. They stick to the shadows, stay hidden. Don’t interact with humans regardless as to what is going on. 

            He knew too well that he wouldn’t be able to do that with her. A few possibilities came to mind. First was working as they always do, then having a dramatic reveal in the end, smiling at her ready to provide comfort and whisk her to safety. Or he could instantly go to her and hold her close as he fought assailants, like a true hero. Or he could simply put on a show, fighting where she could see and approaching her in the end. 

            Carefully he’d brush her hair behind her ear and feel her lean against his fingertips just as she had the day he left. He’d smile at her, proud of the successful battle, relieved that she’s safe. Then it would be like the books. She’d call him a hero, her hero, and lift onto her toes to pull him into a sweet kiss. When they separated he would gather her into his arms and take her home. Leonardo shook his head to move the thoughts away. He shouldn’t be fantasizing; he should be acting. Y/n was in real danger, and he was currently a sitting duck.

            Or he was until Monday afternoon when they were all lounging in the living room together. April was to his left, scrambling to finish an essay she had to submit before her night class when her phone went off. At first, she grabbed it casually only to wrinkle her nose as she saw an unknown number. 

            “Hello?” She began, tone dripping with this suspicion as she listened to whoever it was responding. April’s expression didn’t relax when the person stopped talking. “Yes? May I ask who’s calling.”

            There was more silence as April’s face slowly relaxed before her jaw dropped as if she finally realized who was calling. This gained the attention of all five men in the room with her, who were now watching curiously as April at up straighter and all but screamed into the receiver. “Holy Shit! You’re Leo’s Y/n?!” 

            Leonardo was at her side in an instant, leaning his head in close to her voice. Y/n was calling April. She was on the phone! And he was in the same room, he could take the phone and talk to her if he wanted to, but he held back. If she was calling that means Karai got through to her. Hopefully this was Y/n’s attempt at escaping on her own.

            “He um… talks about me?” Her tone was a bit horse and shaky. She must be scared, the blue clad turtle thought.         

            April was silent after Y/n’s question and looked at Leo curiously. Instantly he felt his cheeks get warm. April was one of the few people he did open up about Y/n too since his return home. She was a girl, she would get it, and she really didn’t need to tell Y/n the things he’s said. The singer didn't need to know that he missed laying with her, or that he liked her perfume the most at the end of the day when the scent was more subtle, or that while she was out of the apartment he would watch a little girls’ show to learn how to style her hair just in case Y/n was to let him play with it. Those were secrets! Frantically he shook his head no, hoping April understood. The redhead simply replied with uncomfortable laughter. 

            “Well… he’s kinda sketchy about it but he has told a lot about you.” She explained quickly only to loudly clear her throat. “Anyway… how did you get my number”

            Leonardo leaned away at that question in favor of looking at his younger brother who had his head tilted. Silently Donnie mouthed her name and Leo nodded. That’s the only explanation he needed from him. 

            “Oh? Oh...” there was a glimmer of understanding in April’s tone after she got her own nod for Donnie as if confirming that Y/n should, in fact, have her number. Their friend’s eyes then got wide again, and she rose to her feet. She stopped her foot once to make sure everyone looked at her for her next statement. “Ok. Operation ‘Leaving the Nest’ is a go!”

            Leo was the next to his feet two fists punched into the air before he even realized what he had done. Everyone’s attention quickly landed on him, but only Raphael spoke. A smirk came onto his little brother’s cheeks as he laughed. “A little excited there, fearless?”

            “Shut… shut up!” Leonardo lamely responded as he tried to act as if nothing happened. “It’s just good that she’s getting out. Finch will be safer the farther away from the Shredder and his associates she gets.”

            “He’s not wrong,” Donnie agreed before his own smirk formed as they listened to April relaying their half-baked plan to Y/n over the phone. “Though it’s obvious it’s more than just her being safe that you're excited about.”

            “Ooo, Leo’s girlfriend is gonna move in with us. They're gonna be all cuddly and kissy and…” Mikey started to tease before his older brother finally cut them off.

            “That’s enough guys, we need to get this place ready.” 

            And get ready they did. Together the brothers cleaned the lair from top to bottom, stocked the fridge, and started clearing space for their new house guest. Splinter even went as far as to begin work on a training schedule for the girl. Being associated with our family will inevitably put her in harm's way, it’ll be best to be prepared, his father explained which quickly prompted Leo to let him know that she was in fact a black belt in jujitsu already. The training plan was then scrapped and rewritten for someone of a higher skill level. 

            When April returned from Lunch on Tuesday, she instantly gave Leo Y/n’s DVD case, and told him she was doing well, which helped put his mind at ease. He was still worried about how she was holding up after her attack. Hearing that she was doing okay was more than enough for now. Come Friday he could comfort her himself, and make sure any finally loose ends surrounding the situation were delicately tied. 

            As he took the case from his friend, April asked why it was so important. Leo quickly explained that movies were one of Y/n’s favorite pastimes and went to open the case to point out some of their favorites. When he opened it however, her degrees caught his eyes. She had brought them with her along with pictures and her black belt. He smiled a bit then rezipped the case. He would let her choose what to do with those things, for now, he’s just put the case in his room. 

            “Woah wait, did I see two degrees in there?” April asked as Leo closed the zipper.

            The turtle chuckled a bit. “Yeah, she’s really smart.”

            “What are they in?” 

            “Physics and Microbiology.” he explained. “She told me she started college at fifteen and double majored. She was a child prodigy for science.”

            That, of course, was when Donnie entered his interest peaked. “Wait, your girlfriend is a science prodigy?” not bothering to correct his brother on the girlfriend thing Leonardo simply nodded. “Sweet! New lab partner!”

            The pair couldn’t help but laugh at Donnie’s excitement. Similar bursts of energy continued throughout the day and even continued while the brothers patrolled. Even Raphael seemed excited about Y/n coming to live with them, or fresh meat to train with, as he was continuing to refer to her. It helped keep Leo focused, kept him moving, and even kept him from running off to check on the girl in question. Whenever the urge hit, he simply reminded himself that he would get to see her, talk to her, hold her, as long as he could make it to Friday. 

            By Thursday afternoon everyone was starting to get antsy. To curb his nerves Leo focused his attention on clearing space in his bedroom for Y/n things. As he worked his brothers had stepped in one by one with something to say about the whole situation. Michelangelo had already run into Leonardo’s room 5 times today asking if Y/n liked this show, or that hobby. His youngest brother was clearly excited about having a new friend. Donatello had made an appearance once to pass off a newly manufactured T-phone he had made for the singer. Her old phone would need to be destroyed or at the very least abandoned to make sure no one tracked her, having an immediate replacement would likely make Y/n feel better about losing her tech, at least that was the logic the brothers were following. 

            When Donnie left Leo went back to work, but in the back of his mind he was simply counting the seconds until Raphael appeared. As of right now, he had already emptied a dresser drawer that originally held spare wraps and comics for Y/n to take over. Next he would work on the wardrobe. There wasn’t much in it, just some extra gear which could be shoved to the side. The big thing he needed to do was open the packs of hangers April had bought. The packs were simple wooden hangers, but the girl had chosen to buy packs where each individual hanger was painted a different warm tone. 

            They stood out against the otherwise drab tones of Leo’s room, but he guessed that might be the point. April had been bugging him for years to add some kind of color to the space, he supposed this was simply her way of doing it. Rolling his eyes, the turtle opened the first set of hangers and began to put them into the wardrobe. It was then that he heard his bedroom door opened.

            Glancing over his shoulder, the oldest turtle saw that Raphael was finally making his appearance. He was leaning against the doorframe, watching boardy as Leo reached for the second package of hangers while simultaneously tossing the first set’s binding into the trash. 

            “Hey, Leo, can I talk to you?” the red clad turtle asked. 

            This older brother didn’t bother looking away from his wardrobe as he opened a second pack of hangers. “What do you need Raph?”

            “I just wanted to make sure your head in the right place regarding this whole thing with Y/n moving in.” 

            That got his attention. Curiously the blue turtle looked away from his task and towards his brother. “What do you mean?”

            “I mean,” Raphael began, brushing off the door frame to enter the room. “You are remembering that this isn't just the girl you like moving in. This girl is uprooting her entire life because she’s in danger.”

            Oh. “I know.” and he did. 

            Leonardo had thought about this a number of times. He was conflicted about how he was feeling regarding this whole situation. He was so excited. Beyond excited really, but at the same time. He felt guilty about it. Y/n was giving up everything. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make, and it definitely won't be an easy citation to live with. But why was Raphael of all people bringing this up?

            “And you’re prepared to help ease her into this right? Not just treat this like a giant date night?” So that was it. Raphael thought that Leonardo wasn’t taking things seriously. “You're going to tell her about the shredder, and the kranng, and how she’s now going to be fighting for her life more often than not.”

            Not wanting to get into it, the older turtle chose a short to the point answer as he went back to his task. “I'll be keeping her safe.”

            “She still deserves to know the risk. You're preparing for that risk right?” His brother asked again.

            “Yes Raphael.” Leo all but growled, but he channeled the guilt that bubbled back to life in his stomach at the reminder into slamming shut his wardrobe and throwing away the last of his garbage. “Believe it or not, I am aware of the stakes here.”

            “Hey, don’t get snippy with me, I'm just looking out for you.” His younger brother replied, hands quickly going to the air. After Leo took a calming breath however, Raph spoke again, this time his tone was a bit more understanding. “I know you like this girl, and that her living here is great for you, but you can’t forget that this is the shredder we are taking her from. I don’t think he’s going to be so happy about us taking one of his toys.”

            The leader had a response on the tip of his tongue, and it wasn’t a nice one. It was filled with venom, chastising his younger brother for not only questioning his abilities but also referring to Y/n as a toy.  He wasn’t sure why that served as his tipping point, but it did. Leonardo could feel his cheeks heating up as his blood pumped. Knowing he needed to contain himself, he forced his eyes to the floor and tried his hardest to find a distraction. Luckily, the universe seemed to recognize his predicament and sent one his way. 

            “Hey guys!” Casey’s voice echoed through the lair, causing Leonardo’s head to lift up. 

            Turning on his heel, the turtle pushed past his brother to the main area to see their human friend walking in the living room with a large cardboard box labeled ‘Donations’ in his hands. The brunette smiled as he saw Leonardo enter and nodded towards the box proudly.

            “Pidge gave me this, April said it should be all the clothes and stuff she wants.” Casey explained while passing the box off to the blue clad turtle.

            “Thanks Casey, for getting this down here so fast. Now I'll have plenty of time to put everything away.” Leonardo replied, doing his best to hide away his concerns. This didn’t look like a lot, and it was supposed to be the main delivery of her things.

            “Not that it looks like much.” Raphael mumbled, clearing thinking in the same vein as his brother. “How on earth did a twenty-year-old girl manage to pack her whole life into a box.”

            Leo glanced at him, trying to calm his one mind with his retort. “It’s not her whole life, it’s just some clothes and stuff.” 

            “Still, she’s bound to forget something and then what?” His little brother asked. “She’s shit out of luck?”

            “She hasn’t forgotten anything so far,” Casey offered.

            “She only gave us that DVD case so far.” The red clad turtle countered.

            “Besides, if there is anything else she needs we can just go out and get her a new one.” Leonardo cut in. That logic helped soothe him. They could replace anything she forgets, anything she may need. “April is going to the store tomorrow to get Finch her bathroom stuff right?”

            Casey smiled up at him. “Yep, I told her to send Red the pictures.” 

            “Perfect.”

            “Leo, you need to listen to me.” Raphael grumbled. “This isn't some sleepover. This girl is uprooting her whole life and is going to be trapped in a swear for the foreseeable future. Don’t you understand that.”

            Okay, Leonardo thought as his grip on the box tightened, Raphael is just looking for a fight. Don’t give in. It’s not worth it. “Yes Raph. I do.” 

“Then maybe you should be focusing on something other than getting her unpacked. Like, I don't know how we are going to keep her safe or from freaking out or…”

            “Keeping her from freaking out is what I'm doing.” Leo cut him off, keeping his words short. He didn’t want to argue with his little brother, but in the same breath, he wouldn’t stand there and let him talk to him as if he’s stupid. “I’m trying to make everything as close to how she had it as possible. That way there's some kind of familiarity. As far as keeping her safe, Finch will be safe as soon as she’s here with me.”

            “Here with you?” his brother punched the last word as if he assumed Leo miss used it.

            “Yes.” The elder brother replied simply. “Now you can either help by doing your share of the chores, or you can leave me alone Raphael.” 

***

            With one final flick of her wrist, Y/n finished applying her lipstick, completing her look for the night. It was sexier than she usually went for, but she wanted to go out with a bang. The fact that this was the first time Francoeur would be seeing her definitely did not help contribute to that decision at all. No. She simply wanted to surprise the patrons with a more alluding look, just as she is going to surprise them with the set change during her final song.

            Her lips were painted a neutral pink while her eyes were darkened with a metallic smokey eye. This combined with her hair in loose beachy waves, and her tight-fitting blue satin dress, she was, as David described it, a bombshell. When she stood, Y/n took a moment to pull the hem of her dress slightly lower on their thighs and pull the single mesh long sleeve back onto her shoulder.

            This was her last time getting ready in this room. Her eyes landed on the back duffle bag by the door. When she finished her performance she wouldn’t even have time to change. There would be just enough for her to each in and grab that bag and give David a hug. Then she would disappear. Y/n shook her head. She needed to take tonight step by step, just like she had every other part of this process. The next step in line was to get on stage and sing her heart out.

            With a sigh, Y/n willed herself to move on. Leaving her dressing room, the girl smiled when she saw David waiting for her in the hall. Her first smile stretched impossibly wide when he saw her standing there. A simple twirl of his finger was all the incentive Y/n needed to lift onto the toe of her heels and do a spin. 

            “Perfecto!” David cheered. “Now, is our leading lady ready to blow them all away.” 

            At first, she nodded and prepared to link arms with her partner, but then something caught her eye. The window above the door was closed tonight. Most of the time, she didn’t pay it any mind. Sometimes it was opened to give a bit of a breeze, sometimes it was closed. Nothing fancy or important, but it did give her an idea.

            So, stopped a few steps shy of her partner, Y/n kept her eyes locked on the small rectangular pane. “Hey Davy, can you do me a favor?” 

            “What do you need, Pretty girl?” The man replied in an instant, as always prepared to do whatever she asked. 

            With a smile, she pointed towards the small window above the back door. “Can you open that?”

            “The window?” He asked. “Why?”

            "Well, um… you know he’s supposed to be coming tonight and I just thought…” Y/n struggled to explain. After all, her own mind hadn't voiced a reason, it was the decision her heart made. “Well, it might be nice if he can listen in on the set. Since he won’t really have another chance and-”

            “Say no more.” David chuckled, thankfully understanding where she was going with her ramble. The man then lifted onto his toes and unlocked the window before pushing it up, instantly welcoming a soft breeze backstage. When he landed flat on his feet, he offered Y/n his arm once again, and this time took it with a breath that pushed back the threat of nausea from her stomach. “Let’s knock 'em dead.”

            The pair waited in their usual place for their cue to wander onto the stage. As soon as the crowd saw the performers they were stunned to silence. Y/n certainly did not look the part tonight. She wasn’t in one of her usual floor length dresses with gemstones or sequins. It wasn’t even one of her simplistic black numbers. The crowd, filled with mainly regulars, were beyond surprised by the revealing dress she had opted for. The shock faded as quickly as it came when Y/n introduced the first number and began to perform. 

That's life

That's what all the people say

You're riding high in April, shot down in May

            Song after song Y/n kept her energy high. Separating numbers with small bouts of witty banter with David or jokes. If asked, she would have admitted it was the most fun she’d had on stage in a while. Perhaps it was because she felt confident in her new look for the night, or maybe she was simply more relaxed, knowing that in just a few minutes she would no longer be within Mr. Okoru’s reach. Whatever she chose to do tonight wouldn’t matter. She couldn't be punished. 

            The singer smiled at the thought, her eyes glancing at David to see him still chuckling at her last one liner. Her eyes then moved over his shoulder towards the window they had previously opened backstage. She wondered if Francoeur was outside now. If he could hear her jokes, her songs. She hoped so. Y/n hoped she was making him smile, making him laugh. With this in mind, she turned towards the crowd, feeling the descend of their laughter begin and prepared to introduce their final number.

            “Now, before we move to our next song I have to apologize.” Y/n spoke into the mic, effectively quitting the remaining applause as the people all but leaned towards her to listen. “I have talked my partner into changing the set list for the night. There is one song I've never gotten to sing on this stage, and tonight I plan to change that. So, in honor of my mother, I will be singing for you, Thank you for the Music by ABBA.” 

I'm nothing special, in fact I'm a bit of a bore

If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before

            She sang, eyes glancing towards the door once more. Please be here, please be listening. If he hears no other song, it would all be worth it if the turtle could hear this one. This one for her mother. Her final act of rebellion before disappearing. She wanted him to know she had done this, and she wanted him to be proud of her. 

But I have a talent, a wonderful thing

Cause everyone listens when I start to sing

I'm so grateful and proud

All I want is to sing it out loud

            When the show ended Y/n welcomed David to stand at her side as they both bowed, soaking in the applause for a moment longer than usual. Before they left, the pair exchanged a glance and grabbed each other's hand. The look in David’s eyes softened, and Y/n instantly understood. The tilt of his head, the squeeze of her hand, he was thanking her for this. This was his dream, they both knew that, and together they made it a reality. From start to finish they had done this side by side, and now, they were at the end. 

            Exiting the stage, the pair wandered until they were outside of Y/n’s dressing room. Without warning David grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. The girl felt guilty about the initial panic she felt, but it soon faded as she forced on pushing away the pricking she felt under her skin from this touch. David hadn’t done anything wrong, quite the opposite in fact, and this embrace was something they both needed. 

            After a moment, she willed her mind to agree, and eventually she relaxed in his arms and allowed her own to wrap around his waist. This was it. This was their goodbye. Goodbye to her first love, closest friend, sudo-brother. She tightened her grip. She wanted to take him with her, but she couldn’t.

            “Wonderful as always, pretty girl.” David hummed into her hair as he squeezed her one more time before stepping back. “Do you need to change or…”

            “I already made April wait an extra day,” She explained quickly, holding onto his wrists. “I don't want to make her wait any longer” 

            “Just the bag then.” The man smiled, giving her shoulders one final squeeze before letting go so they could walk to her dressing room to grab her duffle bag.

            Meanwhile in the alley, April and Raphael leaned against one of the walls while Leo stood in the center of path staring at the window starry eyed. When they arrived Y/n had already begun singing a song April recognized., though she said the version she knew sounded a lot different. 

            “She sounds really good though, it’s just not buble’s version.” The red head explained. 

            “I have no clue who bubbly is, but I’ll admit it, your girlfriend has a solid set of pipes Leo.” Raphael shrugged.

            Meanwhile his older brother’s face had lit up as he listened to Y/n performance. “I know, she’s amazing.” 

            That is the position the blue turtle remained in, even going as far as to clap when the performance ended. The pair behind him couldn’t help but smirk. He was so taken by this girl. They kept their teasing to themselves however, well for now. This moment would definitely be used as cannon fodder somewhere down the line. For now, they would let him have this. 

            Of course, that moment of fondness would have talked a bit longer if it wasn’t suddenly interrupted by the heavy sound of metal footsteps heading their way. All three heads turned towards the entrance of the alley, and instantly they were on their feet, weapons drawn. Standing in the light for a flickering streetlamp were Rahzar and Fishface, looking far too smug for a pair that just stumbled upon a group of their enemies.

            “I told you they would be here, Bradford.” Fishface sneered. “That girl is not nearly as sly as she thinks.”

            Raphael pressed forward, grip on his Sais tightening with anticipation, eager for a fight. “What the hell are you on about, Fishface?” 

            “Now now, we aren’t here for a fight.” Rahzar growled. “We are simply here for a pick-up. Master Shredder sent us specifically to pick up his singer after her show tonight. He had a suspicion that she was going to make a run for it tonight.”

            His partner then smeared, grabbing his own knives from his waist and standing at the ready, “However, since you are here it appears you may already be aware of her plans. Here to return to your owner, are you Leonardo?” 

            The blue clad turtle glared at his enemies. “Stay away from, Finch.” 

            “I’m afraid the songbird is going to be coming with us.” Rahzar sneered. 

            “Over our dead bodies.” April glowered, her tessen unfolding with a shink. 

            “That can be arranged.”

            The fight was then on, April and Raphael rushed Rahzar while Leonardo took on Fishface. Before long, the Snakehead had cornered the leader, slamming him against the club’s back door. The turtle grunted on impact but soon rearranged his grip to push back against this enemy. 

            On the other side of the door, Y/n suddenly jumped. She had her duffle slung over her arm and had said her final goodbye to David. Just as she grabbed the handle to the back door however, it rattled as if a boulder had been thrown at it. From the open window the pair could hear the clashing of metal, concern bubbling in their gut. Silently they exchanged a glance. 

            As if reading her mind, David lowered into a squat with his arms open expectantly. Wasting no time, Y/n moved forward and allowed her friend to wrap his arms securely around her legs before he stood once again. Reaching up, she grabbed the windowsill and tilted her chin to look into the alley below.

            Her eyes widened at the sight. April and two turtles were fighting against a fish and some kinda wolf thing. In good news, they looked like they were winning. In bed news, the metal fan that April was using had just gotten kicked out of her grasp. Feeling she needed to do something, Y/n quickly looked down to David, signaling for him to put her down. 

            Without wasting time, she removed her heels and placed her hand on the door once again. Before pushing it open, the girl sent one more smile over her shoulder towards her friend. “I love you, David.”

            “I love you too, Y/n.” He replied, “Take care of yourself.” 

            “You are too.” she nodded before her expression became serious. 

            Taking a breath, she pressed forward on the door, and rushed out into the fight. Her bag was quickly thrown off to the side, abandoned as the singer attempted to ding an opening. That's when her eyes landed on one of the turtles being overpowered by the wolf. He needed her help. 

            With one of her heels, she drew back before chucking it with as much force as possible. It hit the wolf in the head, causing him to lurch forward and release one of his hands from the turtle to curiously rub the now sore spot. Seeing him as distracted, Y/n rushed forward, and jumped on his back. With her second shoe she put the thin heel into his neck while shouting.

            “Bad Dog!”

            The wolf groaned in pain, allowing the turtle to escape and take a few calculated steps back. In the meantime, the canine reached over his shoulder and grabbed Y/n. His hand easily covered half of her back as he gripped her and threw her towards the wall. Luckily, the turtle who had been attacking the wolf before her was quick on his feet. He followed the direction of the wolf’s throw and was able to intercept Y/n before she could make contact with the bricks. 

            She had less than a second to focus her mind as the turtle tossed her to her feet and maneuvered so that he was standing in front of her. His Sais were at the ready, and eyes locked on the wolf who was still trying to work his arm out of the tense and cramped state Y/n’s jab had forced it into. She had used a very specific pressure point. It was the first in a series that, if used properly, could block the flow of Chi in an enemy's body. Only one jab means the effect is basically the equivalent to forcing his right side to sleep.

            “What kind of knife was that?” The turtle asked her, catching her attention. She remembered his voice; this was the turtle who pinned her in her apartment when they picked up Francoeur. 

            “A stiletto?” She responded before wincing as the wolf finally felt prepared enough to lurch back at them.

            “Finch! Are you ok?” The second turtle shouted in her direction before blocking another blow from the fish.

            “Francoeur?!” Y/n screamed out over the fight, trying to get a clearer look to no avail, everything was simply moving too fast.

            The turtle in blue, however, did manage to look over his shoulder at her before turning towards his red-headed friend who had finally found her tessen once more. “April! Take the songbird and run, we’ll handle these punks.” 

            April nods before moving closer to Y/n. Once the singer was in reach she grabbed her wrist and began dragging her out of the fight, keeping her metal fan at the ready as they ran “Let’s go!”

            The pair ran together out of the alley and down a few blocks before rushing into a different alley and tucking behind a dumpster. Their backs pressed against the brick, and the woman exchanged an uneasy glance. This wasn’t going to plan. As they both struggled to catch their breath, Y/n began to look around. This alley was darker, not even a flickering light shown in, just a small security light that was half burned out hanging off of the fire escape. 

            Her adrenaline started to fade and was replaced with pure anxiety. She felt trapped in her corner, crouched in by April's form. Whipping her head to the side, she saw the red head’s eyes widening in concern. She said something but fell on muffled ears. Why am I panicking? This is April. Y/n’s mind wandered but she couldn’t stop her body's reaction. 

            Her chest started to burn as April spoke louder. “Y/n, hey. I know that was a lot, but it’s all going to be ok.”

            She sounded like she was underwater, but at least Y/n could hear her now. The singer tried to cling onto that fact as April continued to spout comforting words in her direction. As the minutes passed, the other woman’s’ voice began clearer, and the ringing in her ears faded into nothingness. It was as if her boy had finally agreed with her mind that she was safe. Of course, that feel only lasted a moment. Without warning something blocked the dull shine of the security light. 

            Both girl’s eyes widened, and April was quick to open her war fan. When they turned their heads the pair saw two huge shadows slowly approaching them. Right before Y/n relaxed her budding scream however, the one in the front squatted down letting the light shine over them. It was just the turtles. The red one stood silently, rolling out his shoulder while the blue one was crouched down in front of Y/n. He smiled at her before shrugging his shoulder allowing her black duffle bag, which she had previously abandoned in the alley way in favor of helping with the fight, to slide down his arm to his hand.  

            “You forgot his.” he smiles.

            Y/n’s eyes rose to meet the turtles. Hen head tilted slightly to the side as she studied him. His voice was what she remembered, albeit much softer without any trace of scratchy irritation. Still, the mask was throwing her off. She had only ever seen Francoeur without it. What served as the final nail when it came to reassuring the singing that this turtle was in fact her turtle, were his eyes. They were exactly what he remembered. A deep beautiful ocean blue. 

            Her panicked heart began to calm as she used her final burst of adrenaline to lunge forward, wrapping her arms around the turtle’s shoulders. She hit his chest with such force that Leonardo nearly fell backwards out of his crouched position. “Thank fuck your alive!” The girl exclaimed. 

            “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He laughs and wraps his arms around her. “I’ve missed you finch.”

            Face buried against his shoulder Y/n allowed a relaxed smile to grace her lips. “I’ve missed you too, Francoeur.” 

            “You two ready?” Another voice cut in, causing both of them to turn their attention to the red clad turtle who was standing beside April looking less than impressed by their emotional reunion. 

            “Just one thing.” She then reaches into the duffle and pulls out her cell phone. She throws it to the ground and nods at the turtles. April had mentioned in their original planning that Y/n would most likely need to destroy or at the very least abandon her phone, and now was the time to do it. As it clamored to the ground Raph smiled before he moved forward and stabbed it with his Sai. “Now I'm ready.”

            Leo chuckled a bit at the scene catching Y/n’s attention once again. When he saw a smile appear on her painted lips he mimicked it, offering her a hand. “Let's get you home.”

            In place of words, the singer’s smile grows. Placing her hand in his she embraces the comfort that comes from the terrapin pulling her close and ultimately hoisting her into his arms. Resting her head on his shoulder she let herself close her eyes. She was pleased that instead of the nausea that she had been feeling as of late when people touched her, Y/n felt a warm buzz in her chest. That’s how she knew for sure. Here, in Francoeur’s arms, being carried across the skyline, she was finally safe.

Chapter Text

          When consciousness floated into focus in Y/n’s head, she was quick to protest. She was comfortable. A pleasant dreamless sleep had carried her through the night, and the singer wasn’t quite ready to let it go. So instead of listening to the prodding of her mind, the girl whined and cuddled closer to the hard mass she was practically on top of. Unlike the first few mornings, when she woke up with a start at the hard surface below her head, Y/n embraced it. After a week of waking up with something, or someone, you get used to it. 

          A sleepy smile made its way to her lips as she thought back to her first night. 

          Leonardo held her close to his chest the entire way to the lair. He spoke in a hushed tone, sweet words and explanations for only her to hear. I’ve missed you, We’ll keep you safe, The sewers aren’t too bad, My father is excited to meet you. His tone was a comforting beacon in the fog of stress that had been surrounding her. Though she found herself more often than not longing on a single fact. 

          No matter how closely she was held, now matter where his hands slid as he readjusted his grip, no matter how long she stayed with her back pressed against his chest even after he set her back on her feet, nausea never came. She wasn’t afraid of the turtle or his touch. She wasn’t uncomfortable. Y/n knew, inside and out, that with Francour, she was safe. It amazed her truly, but she didn’t want to think too deeply, afraid that letting her mind spiral in the way it so often did would cause that awful feeling in her gut to appear again. 

          Instead, she chose to soak in the comfort she could. So she allowed herself to smile as the turtle carefully stood her up right in the living room, her bare feet hesitantly making contact with the concrete floor as the blue clad turtle presented her to the rest of his family. 

          “Finch, this is my family,” He started as he gestured to the group. “You already know April, Casey, and Donnie.”

          Y/n smiled as she leaned back just enough to feel Leonardo’s cool shell against her, being sure to keep her eyes on the group of humans and mutants alike, all staring at her with various degrees of hospitality written across their features. “It’s wonderful to see you all again.” 

          “The one in red is Raphael, and the one in orange is Michelangelo. My younger brothers.” Leo pointed them both out as he went. Raphael nodded in acknowledgement and Michelangelo shot her a wink and finger guns. Y/n couldn’t stop her giggle, something that caused a pleased expression to appear on the singular rat’s face. Her eyes then locked with his, prompting the rodent to step forward with his paw extended towards her, not for a shake, but with his palm up. It only took one glance over her shoulder at Leo for her to know what to do. He was smiling at her, and simply nodded for her to go on as he continued. “This is my father, Master Splinter.”

          “Hamato Yoshi,” The rat said simply as Y/n placed her hand on his paw. A moment later, his free paw was placed on top of her hand, holding it kindly. “I cannot thank you enough for the kindness you showed towards my son during your brief time together. I hope that we are able to extend such hospitality to you in your time of need.” 

          “I simply did what was right, and I am beyond grateful for everything you and your family have already done for me.” Y/n responded fondly before looking towards the group. “Please, if there is anything I can do to repay your kindness, don’t be afraid to ask.” 

          To everyone’s surprise it was Donatello who stepped up with an eager expression on his face. “Actually there is something! You see i’ve been in need of a second scientific mind for my-”

          “Donatello!” Splinter interrupted his son sternly, making his son quickly shut his mouth. “I am certain Ms. Y/n has had a stressful evening. It would be best for everyone if we simply went to bed. Leonardo will escort you.” 

          The end of his sentence was directed towards the girl who looked up at the blue clad turtle in question. “Hai, sensei.” Fracour then looked down, meeting Y/n’s eyes with a smile. “Come on Finch, I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

          The girl nodded and gave a parting smile to the family before following Leonardo out of the main space and down a separate hall. Silently she took in the doors that spotted the walls. None of them matched, and most had at least one dent or scratch. At the end of the hall, the turtle pointed out a door and explained that it was the bathroom, apparently it was a private one that was in pretty good space when Master Splinter first found this abandoned subway station and transformed it into their home. The blue clad turtle explained that when they were ten Donnie managed to make it completely functional, something Y/n mentally praised him for. 

          Leonardo then made a sharp left and walked a few feet down an alcove before opening a door at the end. This door still had a plaque on it that read ‘Security’ and Y/n couldn’t help but giggle at it. The sound caught her escort's attention, and he was quick to follow his gaze. When he read the plaque he laughed a bit as well. 

          “I guess you can guess what my room used to be.” Leonardo teased as he opened the door. “But I can't complain. It’s the biggest.” 

          Y/n giggled a bit more as she turned and backed through the turtle’s open bedroom door with a smile. “Perks of being the oldest.”  

          Silently the singer took in the room. It was…plain. All dark wood and gray walls. Clearly he never bothered to recolor the security lounge when he took over the space. The only personality there was were a few small knives tossed on top of the bedside table. Otherwise, the room was completely cleaned, and seemed like a blank slate. She glanced back at the turtle behind her curiously. April mentioned that they were a year younger than her and she was in her final year of college, so that means Leo and his brothers should be about 20? 21? How come he never customized his room. 

          Y/n didn’t have time to think about it, as the turtle behind her rocked on his heels before awkwardly inviting her to get comfortable. He then nodded in her direction before turning and heading back to the door.          

          “Wait… where are you going?” Y/n called out to him, causing the turtle to stop with his hand on the knob.

          With a confused expression he glanced over his shoulder at the girl. “Oh um, i figured i’ll just sleep on the couch, you can have the room.”

          Her eyes widened at his offer, and in a flash, Y/n was across the room, wiggling herself under Leo’s arm to stand between him and the door. “What no, but this is your room.”

          “And you gave me your room. I’m just returning the favor, Finch.” Leonardo explained with a sincere smile “Seriously, it’s fine.”

          “No it’s not! I can't just take your room and kick you out onto the couch. We have no idea how long I am going to have to stay here. It could be weeks, months, I don’t know how long Mr. Okoru will be looking for me, he’s your enemy. Besides, you actually have enemies that you actively fight against as we saw tonight. Sleeping on the couch won’t be sustainable. You’ll be achy and lethargic before long and won’t be able to protect yourself and your brothers and I can't have that on my conscience. So there is no way in hell you are sleeping on the couch. I’m the space invader, i’ll just go sleep on the couch!”

          “Woah, woah, woah, you are not sleeping on the couch.” Leo cut off her rambling, hand finally moving from the door knob in favor of holding her shoulder. 

          “Well neither are you.” Y/n bit into her words, inadvertently triggering a stare off. It quickly became clear that neither of them were going to back down, which of course meant finding some way to compromise. The obvious answer nagged in the back of the singer’s mind, and she forced herself to formulate the offer before she could back down. “Why don’t we just share?”

          The turtle blinked as it processed the suggestion. “The bed…?”

          “Can’t be much different than when we fell asleep on the couch.” Y/n rushed out in response. “Besides, you have a full sized bed, so we’ll actually have a bit more room now than we did last time.”

          “Are you sure you’re comfortable with that?” He asked. “With um… me?”

          The question felt almost foolish. Y/n felt like she had known Leonardo for years, decades ever, though it had only been a little over a month. Even so, she could think of no one she was more comfortable with in the entire world. Not even david. Her mind then raised to how she felt when he touched her, or rather the lack of nausea. He made ehr safe, he made her comfortable. 

          “Of course Francoeur.” The girl smiled, giving his arm a squeeze before dipping under it again and moving to the center of the room. Gathered her hair in her hands she lifted it off of her back before speaking over her shoulder. “Now… help me with my zipper?”

          The question made Leonardo freeze before a lopsided smile appeared. It felt almost fitting. Afterall, this was how their last moments together in the apartment began. With Y/n in her work clothes, back to him, carefully pulling her hair out of the way. Only this time, instead of having her head hanging sadly, Y/n sent Leonardo a smile over his shoulder as he approached. 

          Carefully he squeezed her shoulders before letting one of his hands slide down to grasp the zipper pull. Slowly, he dragged it down her  back, eyes taking the chance to star at her slowly exposed back. When the zipper reached the end of the tape, Leonardo felt it. There was something in the air, something warm, that made him want to step close to the girl in front of him. To touch the exposed skin he just revealed reverently, as if she was something heaven sent. 

          Leonardo laughed, as the feel moved for the surrounding air to his stomach. He pressed the zipper against the small of her back, his forehead landing against her shoulder. “How is this more awkward than the first time?”

          “Because we aren’t distracted by sadness,” Y/n giggled. “This time it’s a bit more….um… intimate. ”

          There was silence. Then it was broken by a soft chur. Y/n leaned against Leos’ chest, longing to feel the vibrations more. The sound hitches for a second before Leonardo nuzzles his face closer to her neck and wraps his arms around her waist. “Beautiful.” 

          “Hmm?”

          “You look so beautiful tonight.” He whispered as if speaking any louder could break the calming air that had surrounded them. “You always do, but tonight especially. You really dressed to the nines.” 

          “I’m glad you noticed.” she hummed, eyes locking on the floor as she took a breath for confidence. “I was hoping you would.” 

          Leo squeezes her again before stepping back and turning so his back is to her. “I’m not looking, so you can change. Pajamas are in the dresser, top drawer, and April bought some makeup remover wipes, those are on top of the dresser. Let me know when you're ready for me to turn.”

          “Okay, I'm ready.” Y/n chirped after a few moments, prompting the pair to exchange a quick glance before turning to the bed. “Now… how do we wanna do this?”

          Together they stood in silence while examining the space. y/n could crawl in first, tuck herself against the wall and let Leo have the rest of the space. Or, they could both take half the bed and be confined to their sides all night. Y/n then glanced at Leo to see him deep in thought as well, probably going though his own list of sleeping positions they could attempt. 

          Shaking her head, the singer thought about the only other time they fell asleep together. She was on top of him. Even when they cuddled before he left she was in his lap. At the time, it was the natural progression. Leo was the larger one of the pair, and her weight didn’t seem to bother him. A similar possession would probably be the best option for the bed as well. 

          Nudging Leo with ehr shoulder, Y/n prompted him to lay down first. To ehr surprise, he didn’t bother to resist, instead crawling onto the bed and laying on the right side on his back, arms resting a bit awkwardly on his stomach. The singer smiled at him for a moment before crawling into bed beside him, nuzzling herself under the blankets before rolling onto her side. If she stayed tucked on the very left edge of the mattress they both fit without touching, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. So, with a breath of confidence, Y/n moved closer to the turtle. She pressed her body against his side and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

          The turtle beside her stiffened at first, before his body suddenly relaxed.  His arms left his stomach, in favor of wrapping around her, and in a single tug, Y/n found herself resting half on top of Leonardo as he shuffled around to get under the blankets as well.  Everytime Leo moved, Y/n had to lift her head slightly to avoid a hard bump from his shell landing against her head or neck. Not that she would ever tell him that. Instead, she hummed contently each time she relayed her head, taking care to make sure her hair stayed out of his face as she settled. 

          “Comfortable? I mean, I know I'm not exactly…eh… soft?”

          “You’re fine Francour. I’m comfortable.” Y/n insisted as she nuzzled her head into his shoulder one more time trying to find the best place to settle without the edge of his shell jabbing her in any uncomfortable ways. Once she was settled Y/n took a deep calming breath. “God… I've missed you.” 

          “I’ve missed you too.” Leonardo mumbled against her hair as he rolled his shoulders while finding his own ideal position. “Goodnight, Finch.”

          “Goodnight.”

          Now, a week later, she whined in the back of her throat as she cuddled further into the turtle’s side, trying to will her mind to put off its morning start up. She wrinkled her nose, scrunched her eyes scrunch tighter. If she could, the girl was certain she would have crawled inside of Leonardo's shell if it meant sleeping just a bit longer. Nothing could stop her consciousness though and soon enough the first full thought of the day slid past her and stood to be a speeding mind.

          If you're up, you should get breakfast started.

          She groaned at herself. Her mind had a point. For the past four days, Y/n has been taking breakfast duty from michelangelo. It was her way of repaying the debt she felt she had with the turtles. After all, they saved her life and are now housing her. Not to mention, they’ve all been quite pleasant. 

          Even Raphael. 

          While he did have a few snide comments about how Y/n did things, or wore her hair in a mess, the two did find that they enjoyed just being in each other's space. Not talking, or even doing the same thing. Y/n could be rebuilding her playlist on her new T-phone, while Rapheal read a magazine, and the two would just be content. Finally giving in, Y/n opened her eyes and blinked her thoughts away, before rolling off her Leonardos chest in preparation to getting up out of the bed. 

          “Where are you going?” Leo groaned as he tossed an arm over Y/n’s waist in an attempt at keeping her in place. 

          The girl whined, though it was clearly playful as she started to push his arm away. “Haveta make breakfast.” 

          Leo scoffed, opening one eye to look at her. “You don’t haveta do anything.”

          “Fine. Wanna make breakfast.” She replied, finally wiggling out of his grip only to have the turtle snatch her wrist as soon as her feet touched the ground. “Let me go, so I can get you food grumpy gills,”

          A half-hearted groan came in response as Leo released her, throwing his arms over his eyes as he yawned. “Are you making eggs today?”

          “Probably, I let Mikey use the rest of the flour for pizza dough, so no pancakes.” Y/n shrugged while grabbing a pair of fuzzy socks that she had started leaving on the bedside table after her third morning of tiptoeing around the cold concrete. It was awful, and made her wonder if her toes would freeze off if she continued wandering around barefoot. Y/n adapted quickly and started to opt for a pair of fuzzy socks as her ‘house shoes’ making her happy that she shoved three pairs into her duffle before leaving for work. 

          Glancing over her shoulder while blindly reaching for her t-phone, Y/n looked back at the turtle lazily rubbing his eyes on the bed. “How do you want yours cooked?”

          “Usual.” He muttered. 

          “Three?” She replied. 

          “Yeah.” 

          “Be out in a minute?”

          “Five. ”

          “Some leader you are,” She teased only to have Leonardo move his arm away from his eyes in favor of reaching out to grab her knee successfully making her trip. Y/n scoffed, with a wide smile as she swatted his hand away and regained her balance.  “Rude.”

          “Rude.” the turtle mocked causing the pair to laugh as Y/n finally made it out of the bedroom. 

          Free at last, the girl made her way down the hall and towards the kitchen while queuing up her playlist. Pacing her phone down on the counter, she began swaying her hips to her ‘throwback thursday playlist’. As Madonna began to sing out, the girl mumbled to herself a personal complaint about now having her weekend playlists remade yet. After all, it was friday, not tuesday, her jams were off. First world problems, she grumbled mentally before scurrying around the kitchen for a man, the toaster, and her needed ingredients.

          Starting up a pot of coffee, Y/n got down to business. Two slices of bread into the toaster and three eggs into the man to be cooked over medium for Leonardo. Humming to herself, the singer let her hips bounce back and forth to each song while she cooked, only leaving the stove when the toast popped so she could butter it. Once that was done, she finished up the eggs and put the meal onto a plate. 

          Right as she turned to place it onto the kitchen island of Leonardo to find it, the turtle in question walked into the kitchen with a yawn. Stretching over his head, the turtle wandered to Y/n’s side. Leaning down, he bumped his head against her temple while rubbing between her shoulder blades while churring softly.

          “Thanks Finch,” he whispered into her ear before moving to his barstool and digging into the food she prepared.

          Y/n smiled fondly at him, a now familiar warmth bubbling in her stomach after his actions. Since she moved in, Leonardo had been more openly affectionate towards her. Sweet smiles, and soft touches were only the beginning. The newest addition were head bumps. It also didn’t go unnoticed that whenever they were alone, and the turtle chose a sign of physical affection, he would chur. Using only for a few fleeting seconds, just long enough for Y/n to notice, and it always made her smile. That was why he did it after all. 

          Shaking her head, Y/n put two more slices of bread into the toaster before turning to grab a nearby tea pot to start boiling some water. She knew at the very least, Leo would want Tea when he finished his meal, his father probably would as well. As she filled the kettle she glanced towards the living room. Wandering towards the kitchen was the tallest turtle, tiredly rubbing his eyes. 

          Y/n smiled when she saw him and chirped an energetic ‘good morning’, “Coffee is in the pot Tello, just finished brewing.” 

          Donatello groaned happily as he rushed over to the pot, quickly preparing himself a mug. “You are a goddess.” 

          “Eggs?” She asked, gesturing towards her pan only for the purple clad turtle to shake his head. Y/n looked at him disapprovingly, jutting a hip out as she waved her spatula in his direction. “You have to eat something.”

          “Toast?”

          “Good enough,” the girl sighed as she caught a glimpse of one of the other turtle brothers trudging into the kitchen. “Good Morning Raphael. Eggs?”

          “Sure,” Raphael murmured as he sat down, one of the barstools between his brothers. He sat silently for a moment, just watching you curry around before he huffed. “You know you don’t have to cook for us right i mean we are completely capable of…”

          “I already tried Raph, best to just drop it.” Leonardo cut him off as he shoveled another bite of egg into his mouth.

          “Awe, he’s learning.” Y/n teased as she scrambled Rapheal’s eggs, knowing that is how he preferred them. 

          “Shush. Too early for teasing.” The leader smirked as he scolded you.

          “Too early for flirting you mean.” Donatello muttered into his coffee cup, tired eyes glancing at his older brother.

          “Shut up.” Y/n and Leonardo laughed together. 

          Their smiles never faded, and mondaine morning conversation started to flow through the kitchen over top of Y/n’s music. She passed off Rapheal’s food with a smile as well as Donnie’s toast before looking over their heads back to the living room. No One new. Feeling in the clear, the girl went ahead to make her own eggs and toast, as well as mixing together her own homemade mocha. When food was finished, the girl placed it on the island opposite of the turtles, and leaned against it to eat.

          As she took her first bite, Leo took his last. He stood from her stool and walked past the girl, petting her head as he passed to place his plate in the sink. “I’ll do the dishes when everyone finishes.” He promised to earn himself an appreciated hum.

          “I am always happy to see that my attempts to teach you boys chivalry were not lost.” A soothing voice echoed through the room, turning all heads and making Y/n stand straight.

          As she moved, Leo’s hand slid from her hair to rest on her shoulder. Instantly, her own hand reached to lay on top of his, as she locked eyes with his father. “Good Morning, Mr. Hamato. How would you like your eggs?”

          The rat smiled, eyes moving from the pair’s layered hands to the girl’s eyes“None for me my dear, but thank you I'll just have some…”

          “Tea?” Y/n cuts him off with a smile. “The kettle should be whistling in just a minute.”

          As if the universe heard her, a whistle rang through the kitchen making everyone smile a bit. instantly Y/n turned to make the tea, only to have Leonardo stop her. 

          “I’ll get it Finch, you finish eating.”

          “Thank you Francour,” Y/n smiled before leaning back against the counter to have another bite of her breakfast only to look up a few seconds later. “Hey, where’s Angel?”

          “Sleeping in, because someone is spoiling him by taking over breakfast duty.” Raph replies. 

          “I’m being helpful, oh no, what a nightmare.” Y/n replied with an eye roll, “But don’t you all have training in an hour. He’s gonna wanna eat soon so that he doesn’t hurl.” 

          “It’ll be his own fault.” Donnie mumbled into his cup.

          “Brothers are so loving.” the singer said sarcastically, but she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. 

          “Can’t all be blessed like you,” Raphael smirked onto his food. “Only child.” 

          Rather than dignifying a response Y/n stuck her tongue out at the red clad turtle before turning towards Donatello ready to change the subject. “So based upon how dead you look, I'm assuming you were up all night in your lab. Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

          “I would love some help honestly, but I want you to be settled first.” The purple turtle replied as he ate his toast eyes not so subtly darting towards his father, who was now being passed a cup of tea.

          “It’s been a week, Tello, I'm plenty settled.” Y/n smiled, “Besides, thanks to someone’s ‘Y/n can’t leave the lair rule’ I literally have nowhere else to be.”

          Leonardo, who had claimed a place leaning on the counter beside Y/n bumped her with his hip. “That rule is for your safety, and you know it.”

          “Yeah yeah. So what do you say D?” the girl refocused. “Lab partners?”

          Smiling in her direction, Donatello nodded. “Lab partners.” 

***

          Y/n didn’t realize how much she missed science until she found herself chatting with Donatello for hours about his experiments. He started the basics, how he and his brother became themselves, before moving on to some of his inventions, introducing her to metal head hsi personal robot, and the creepy as hell goo man who lives in the corner, Timothy. By the time he was done, y/n was on the edge of her seat, reading over equations on his black board, eager to hear about his newest experiment. An attempt to make some kinda retro-mutagen.

          “This is the original mutagen. I have a few canisters, and when my brothers and I go  out for our nightly patrols we try to keep our eyes out for more.” Donatello explained as he double checked that the glass canister of glowing green goo was securely closed before handing it off to Y/n.

          The girl looked at it with wide eyes as she instantly recognized the material. “You have a canister of chemical X?”

          “Chemical X?” Donnied asked in response. “Like I said, this is the mutagen. Have you seen this before.”

          “Tons of times, it was the main substance we worked with during my internship in college.” The girl explained while passing the canister back. “I never used such a concentrated version of it, at least not this much of it!”

          There was a moment of silence where the turtle just stared at ehr, gear clearing turning in his mind as he slowly asked his next question. “Where exactly did you used to work?”

          “It was a company called TCRI. You might know them better for their work with the WWGP.” Y/n explained with a smile, thinking fondly of the research she was doing while she worked for the company.“We focused mainly on genetic research.”

          “You worked for TCRI!?!” The turtle suddenly shouted, causing the girl to jump so hard she nearly fell out of her chair.

          “Yeah why?” 

          “How the…. Why the… what…” Donatello struggled to form a sentence before he suddenly grabbed the back of her chair, and leaned close to ehr, looking far bigger than he was as he screamed. “HOW DO YOU HAVE SUCH BAD LUCK WITH EMPLOYERS!” 

          “Jesus Donnie! Indoor voice.” The girl shouted back, covering her ears.“What do you mean, bad luck with employers? TCRI was a great job. And the health insurance was amazing. My father worked for them for years before my internship. He even donated his body to the company for research after he died.”

          “They have your dad’s body!?!”

          She winced again at the yelling, irritation starting to seep through her.“Again, volume!” 

          “What are you two shouting about?” Leo’s voice suddenly interrupted the conversation as he peaked his head into the lab curiously. He had heard the yelling from the living room, they all had, but he was the chosen one to make sure nothing serious was happening. 

          “Donnie is giving me shit about my internship!” Y/n yelled back, finally rising to her feet as wanting to make herself seem bigger. Why is he freaking out, it was just an old job. 

          “You're the one who worked for not one, but TWO of our enemies.”

          “What do you have against biologists?”

          “ Normal biologists are fine.” 

          “How are the scientists there not normal?”

          “Hey! Calm down both of you.” Leo interjected, purposely standing between the two who looked only seconds away from getting into a full blow fist fight. “Just drop it for now, and go back to whatever it is you were working on.”

          “Fine.” The pair grumbled before turning towards the desk preparing to get some actual work done now that it seems the time for chatting was over.

          Hesitantly Leonardo left the pair alone, and a few minutes later they found a natural flow, aided by Y/n starting up her playlist once again to fill the science. 

          Donatello gave Y/n a single and grueling job after she made the mistake of pointing out how some of his documents were written in the cypher that they used at TCRI. Instantly the turtle asked if she knew it, and Y/n said yes. Now she was translating page after page of documentation so that it was actually usable. The turtle behind her sat at his own desk trying to prep the math and logistics for three new attempts at Retro mutagen. 

          Before they knew it, the leader in blue was back, hesitantly looking into the lab as soft jazz met his ears. The tension in his chest instantly faded when he noticed that both of the people he left earlier in the day were still there and breathing. 

          “Oh good, you're both still alive.” Leonardo quipped as he walked through the lab doors and saw the pair working at two separate desks. “Figured one of you would be dead considering how silent it was.”

          Curious, Y/n looked up from her translating with a smile. “Who did you have money on?”

          “You.” He replies with a smile earning a glare from his brother. “Come on Donnie, we both know you would hesitate to hit her.” 

          “Whatever, what do you need Leo? We’re busy.” His brother grumbled

          “As you have been for twelve hours.” The leader replied. “It’s time for patrol.”

          “Twelve hours!” the scientist pair shouted.

          “Uh yeah…” Leo drawled before clearing his throat and pointing over his shoulder towards the lab doors. “If you hurry you can eat before we have to leave. I managed to save you both a few slices of pizza.” 

          Wasting no time, Y/n and Donnie were on their feet rushing to the door, hoping that their saved slices still existed. There was no saying with Michelangelo. Hell, Y/n had only been in the lair for five days and she knew that if you didn't eat dinner fast enough the youngest turtle would take them and inhale them. So the pair all but parkoured their way back to the living room where they saw two plates waiting for them on the coffee table and a certain orange clad turtle trying to get to them while this red wearing older brother continued to glare up in his direction. 

          Luckily, it only took a few more seconds for Y/nand donnie to gather their food and hold the plate protectively. Food now in hand, the purple turtle rushed back to his lab to gear up as Y/n settled on the couch, leisurely enjoying her meal with eyes staging on the youngest turtle who was no creeping closer and closer to her. Her eyes hardened into a glare as he started to get too close.

          “Back off Angel,” She hissed while kicking her leg in his direction.

          “Come on Dudette, just one bite.” 

          “One bite my ass.” Y/n’s food then landed in the center of his chest as she fully extended her leg, using all of her strength to keep the turtle away from her. 

          This, of course, was the scene that Leonardo walked in on after stopping by his bedroom to grab his katanas and strapping them to his shell. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to laugh as his little brother struggled to get past Y/n’s leg as she continued to hold him back, pizza slices being shoveled into her mouth ravenously. As he got closer to the pair, in preparation to break up the scene, his little brother in red joined him huffing in irritation about Michelangelo's antics. 

          Wasting no time Raphael grabbed Mikey by the back of his shell and dragged him away from the girl as Leo moved closer, leaning against the back of the couch by her head. Looking up, Y/n placed the remainder of her slice back down on her plate as she smiled. This turtle wouldn’t steal her dinner. 

          “Stay safe.” she mumbles with a full mouth.

          Leo chuckles as he gives her shoulders a squeeze before leaning close to her and whispering. “Always do.”

          She snorts a bit and pushes his face away while swallowing her bite. “Yeah right.” 

          “Come on Leo, give your goodbye kiss and let's go.” Raphael suddenly called from the entrance where he was holding Mikey, Donnie just now wandering out to join them, clearly chewing the last of his own dinner as they waited.

          The leader rolled his eyes at the commentary and prepared to leave the girl on the couch with one final squeeze. Y/n, however, had other plans. Tempted by the teasing, she reached out and grabbed the strap of Leonardo’s sheath. With a swift tug she managed to make the turtle stumble just enough for his cheek to be within reach. So, sitting up a bit straighter, Y/n turned her head to press a kiss on the turtle’s cheek, leaving only a small smudge of grease behind from her lips. As if to encourage him not to over think her actions, the girl swiftly relaxed her posture while releasing him and instantly took another bite of her pizza. 

          Leonardo blinked in shock, but the feeling soon faded into contentment as he smiled down at her. Saying a soft goodbye, the leader turned and rushed towards his team, instantly guiding them out the lair while ignoring their teasing. Meanwhile, Y/n continued her meal happily with herself and her actions. 

          As she finished her meal in silence, the girl thought about her life as of late. She missed going to work, she missed singing without the fear of bothering a housemate, she missed her friends. But at the same time, she loved feeling like she was part of a family. The brothers had single engulfed her in their lives. Sometimes it felt as if she had been there all along, when really it had only been a week. Then there was Leonardo. Y/n was overjoyed to be with him. They simply meshed together, fitting like puzzle pieces into each other.

          She knew she could be happy here. She was happy here.

          Yet there was still something missing. Searching her mind, the singer could only think of one thing. She was missing her routine. Sure, she kept her laundry day the same, and cleaned the lair in a similar order to how she cleaned her apartment. There was nothing she could do about work,, but there was still something else she hadn’t managed to wiggle into her new set up. 

          Y/n had yet to find a time to work out. 

          At that thought the girl looked over her shoulder towards the empty Dojo. She knew she was welcome to use it. Everyone had told her so at least once. The issue was all timing. The morning was when she usually went to her home gym, but here, the morning is when the boys training took place. They finished around lunch time usually, and afterwards Leo or Splinter, or both of them, would hold up in the dojo to meditate, and Y/n didn’t want to interrupt them. The only available time is, well, about now. After a late dinner when the boys left for their nightly patrol. 

          Nodding to herself, Y/n made her decision. She will go in tonight and try to make a new workout routine, and hopefully there will be time in the evening for her to take advantage of the space. Another nod, and she was up, quickly leaning up pizza boxes and plates for dinner before rushing to her and Leo's bedroom to change into proper workout clothes. 

          Once she was ready, the girl wandered into the dojo, making sure to leave her fuzzy socks by the door, afterall, they were more like slippers. When her toes made contact with the tatami mat however the texture took her by surprise. They were slip resistant apparently. Nice. Silently she wandered a bit further into the room while cueing up a playlist before falling to the floor to begin stretching. 

          Usually she gave herself ten minutes to stretch before running though her standard drills. After five minutes however, she heard a door slide open, prompting her to whip her head out the side and see who was there. When she saw Mr. Hamato entered from his bedroom and she smiled and carefully crawled out of her splits to stand and greet him properly.

          “Oh no, do not stop on my account.” The man said simply. “May I speak with you as you stretch.” 

          “Of course you may Mr. Hamato.” Y/n beaned before sitting back onto the mat with her legs together, pointing her toes before reaching for them. Once she had her ankles in hand y/n turned her head towards the rat. “What's up?” 

          The man took a seat beside her on the mat as he spoke. “Prior to you moving in Leonardo and I discussed the possibility of you training alongside my sons and April. He mentioned to me that you are already quite good at Jiu Jitsu, which will give you a very solid foundation. Flex your feet. ” The sudden instruction interrupted his thoughts, but Y/n was quick to obey. He nodded when he saw this then continued. “IF you are interested in being trained, I would like Leonardo to take charge. You see, as my eldest son and leader of the team he will ultimately inherit my role as family patriarch and sensei. One leg in. ”

          Once again Y/n opened, tucking her left leg in while moving her right slightly out before once again reaching for her ankle. “I see. Well, I'm always up for learning new things and having a training plan would probably do me good since my workouts at this point have kinda caused me to plateau.”

          “ Switch. That does not surprise me. If you have been working alone it’ll be hard to grow.” The man hummed. “So, if you are interested, then tonight I would like to run a simple session with you so that I may report back to Leonardo. Your first few training sessions I will sit in on, but then Leonardo will be fully responsible for your progress.” 

          “Sounds good to me.” Y/n smiled as she finished her stretches and got to ehr feet, quickly bending into a bow towards the rat. “I am ready for my training, Master Splinter.”

          “Then let us begin.”  

          With that, the pair began their session. Swiftly, Master Splinter led Y/n through a variety of drills, giving her space to show her skill while simultaneously providing constructive criticism. She was glowing. Hanging on his every word even as she panted for breath during their final spar. Master Splinter wasn't even fighting back, simply running on the defensive to check Y/n’s skill level. As she went for a high kick however, the ground below them suddenly began to shake.

          Insanely the girl stumbled forward, as Master Splinter caught her forearms. Carefully he held her steady while wrapping an arm around her head to protect her from any potential debris. Luckily the worst of it was simply excessive dust from the ceiling falling onto their shoulders, and just as suddenly as it began, the quaking stopped. 

          “Earthquake in Manhattan?” Y/n asked, brow pinching in confusion as she regained her footing. “That’s odd, we aren’t exactly close to any plate lines.”

          “I hope the boys are alright.” The rat hummed as he released the girl before him with a nod. “Best to end our training for the night,”

          “Hai Sensei.” She replied with a bow before looking up with a smile. “Thank you for everything.” 

          With that, Y/n left the dojo, instantly heading toward ehr bedroom to grab a pair of pajamas before rushing to get through the shower before the boys got home, knowing at least one of them would be wanting the space. When she was finished, Y/n wandered back to the living room to wait for them while toweling drying her hair. As she entered, she caught movement out of the corner of her eyes. Turning her head, she saw the four turtle brothers entering the liar and approached them with a wide smile.

          “Guys! You’re back, how was…what the hell happened!” Y/n cut herself off as she rushed to Leo's side and started using her towel to brush some of the dirt that coated his face. “Why do you look like a building fell on you?”

          “Because one did.” Mieky jumped in.

          “What!” the girl shrieked causing the brothers to wince. 

          “It was just a chimney.” Leo corrected, “I’m fine.”

          “A chimney fell on you! That’s still a big deal. What happened to always staying safe! being crushed is not staying safe.”

          “It was that earthquake, it knocked the bricks loose.” Raphael explained, hoping it would at least stop her yelling. “I'll get the first aid kit.”

          “I checked him out a bit on the scene, it looks like it’ll be mainly bruises, he managed to shell up as it fell.” Donatello explained as they led him to the couch where Y/n continued to clean the dirt off with her moist towel. “The biggest issue is the cut on his arm, but Ithink that is from Karai.”

          “Karai? Like, Karai Okauro?” Leo nodded at her and Y/n sighed. “Damn it, I was hoping she wasn’t actively fighting you guys.”

          “I’m afraid the trues only lasted until we got you to safety.” Leo replied. “I’m fine, really.”

          The girl released a heavy breath before turning her attention to cleaning his arm. “Just let me disinfect this cut, then we are going to bed. It’s late.”

          “I can take care of it Y/n, you look like you are getting ready for bed.” Donnie tried.

          “No, I've got it Tello. Besides, I'll just wake up when he comes to bed anyhow.” Y/n replied. “You get some sleep, some actually sleep.”

          Hesitantly Donnie nodded and prepared to walk away. Before he could get two steps in, hoover, the world began to shake again. The purple clad turtle stumbled arm flailing to grab the back of the couch to steady himself while his older brother all but lunged forward. Grabbing Y/n  Leonardo touched her closely against his chest, being sure to cover her head as she reached out to grip his arms. A few seconds passed and the earthquake ended, allowing the trio to slowly regain their bearings and straighten out. 

          “Another one? Really?” Y/n asked nobody in particular.

          “This is so weird, I've got to look into this.”The purple turtle muttered in response before turning and rushing towards his lab.

          “Sleep first Donatello.” the girl called out after him but it fell into deaf ears. 

          Just then Raphael reappeared and passed off the first aid kit with a quick you two ok? The pair nodded and replied saying that he was going to check on Mikey then go to bed. Tocne again he earned himself a pair of nods along with some gestures for him to do so,which prompted him to return the gesture as he left them alone.

          Setting in the science, Y/n drug through the first aid kit for a disinfectant. Once she had it in him, she began to treat Leonardo’s wound and bandage it. All and all, it was a quick process, bookended with a  concerned glance, as Y/n grabbed his hand and led the turtle to their shared room where they quickly climbed into bed together and settled into their standard sleeping position to fall asleep.

          The next morning Y/n woke up before the lead in blue, and somehow managed to crawl out of his grip without waking him. Silently she celebrated her achievement before walking out the kitchen so she could make everyone breakfast. As soon as she entered however, something caught her eye. In The center of the counter was a new industrial sized bag of flour with a note on top that simply read ‘ Pancakes please,’ with a little winky face. Rolling her eyes, Y/n complied with the request, smiling to herself as she tried to guess which turtle had wanted them, only to decide it was most likely Mikey.

          As she cooked, another sudden earthquake hit, forcing her to grip the counter for support. Not long after the Hamato family appeared around her, one by one, (no doubt awakened by the sudden quake) each eagerly accepted their plate of pancakes before spreading around the house. Even Master Splinter, who actually accepted something other than tea for his breakfast, took his plate out of the kitchen in favor of eating in his room. The only one to remain was Leonardo, who sat next to Y/n at the island, eating in silence as she subtly swayed to her music. 

          The silence was strange. Since her move in, Y/n and Leonardo rarely sat in silence together. They always found something to talk about, or would just resort to singing along with the music. But not this morning. Glancing to her right, Y/n tried to analyze the turtle, only to see him glaring down at his food while stabbing his next piece of pancake. 

          “Everything ok, Francoeur?” She asked, effectively breaking the silence.

          “Hmm? Yeah, everything is fine finch.” The turtle replied quickly, earning himself an unconvinced look from the girl. He caved almost instantly. “Ok fine… hypothetical.”

          Nodding in approval, Y/n swallowed her bite. “Go for it.”

          “If you knew a secret but you knew telling other people the secret could be really beneficial even if that secret could shake the entire family dynamic, would you tell it?”

          “Hmm… that's a tough one.” The girl muttered with a full mouth, and took a moment to think of a response while she swallowed.“But I guess I would talk to the person who originally told you the secret. Let them know that you think others knowing would be important and do whatever they say is best.”

          “But what if it…”

          “It’s your dad’s secret right?” Y/n suddenly cut him off

          Leo’s eyes widened in shock, his whole body turning to face the girl beside him.“What, how did you know?”

          “You and your brothers would have shouted a secret by now just to fuck with each other.” She explained. “Not to mention, you just confirmed it.”

          “Damn it…” The turtle muttered to himself, disappointed that he gave it away on his own.

          “Hey now,” Y/n cooed, raising a hand to his arm, giving his scales a gentle caress. “Look, just talk to him and see what he thinks. You are pleased with a very wise father, who trusts you. Voicing your concern would be for the best. Now go, I'll finish up here.” 

          To finalize the words, Y/n picked up her now empty plate and held an expectant hand out for Leonardo’s. The turtle hesitated at first, but soon passed the plate over and stood. Nodding at Y/n he then left the room for the dojo, leaving the girl alone to tidy the kitchen and begin the breakfast dishes. When she finished, Y/n trailed into the living room, and sat beside Rapheal on the couch to watch the morning news with them.

          “Scientists are calling them ‘micro quakes’ but they shark so hard that the reporter’s hair was badly messed up.” the news anchor reported as the camera zoomed out to show the worst case of bedhead any of them had seen in a while. “No need for concern, I'm being treated by my stylist.”

          His closing comments made Y/n scoff, but Michelangelo showed some serious concern. “Dude! His poor hair.” 

          “Earthquakes in manhattan,” Raphael stated in concern, looking over to Y/n with a serious expression. “Something is seriously up.” 

          “One would have been unusual but possible, the fact that we had two last night and another this morning is really concerning.” Y/n mused. 

          “Donnie is tracking them as we speak,” Raph responded. “I’m gonna go check it out.”

          Y/n nodded at him wanting to join, but instead she looked over her shoulder at the dojo, feeling a sudden need to stay put so she was available to Leonardo when he finished speaking with his father. “You boys go ahead. I’ll no doubt be up to my eyeballs helping him theories before long.” 

          The excuse worked, and soon the brothers left her alone in the livingroom to wait for the turtle in blue as she continued to watch the morning news. They had an interview with a local scientist who was tracking the earth quakes. They seemed to all be centralized and avoiding platelines. They are still searching for possible sources and promised to keep the public updated. That information made the girl huff. It would appear that the most basic answer was already ruled out and it hadn’t even been 24 hours. Then again. It was already obvious that this was some kinda anomaly. 

          Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as a heavy hand landed on her shoulder, making her jump. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Leonardo standing behind the couch. The turtle simply asked where his brothers were, and Y/n replied saying they were all in the lab. Without another word, the turtle left to collect his brothers. When they returned, Y/n couldn’t help but watch with a smile as the brothers all began to file into the dojo, only for her expression to become slightly confused and Leo stopped by the entrance and glanced back at her

          “Aren’t you coming?” 

          “What?” Y/n asked, sitting up slightly. “I kinda thought this was like a family meeting.” 

          “It is?” The turtle replied looking a bit confused.

          “Ok and I'm not…” the girl started to elaborate only to be cut off.

          “Just come on Finch.” 

          Blinking, y/n decided not to argue and scrambled to her feet, rushing past the turtle and into the dojo. “Oh um ok.” 

          Going inside, Y/n saw the brothers all sitting in a line on their knees before their father. She hesitated to join them, but Leo’s hand soon landed on her shoulder, gently pressing her forward. Silently she moved and took her place in the live beside Michelangelo, who smiled in her direction. Feeling a bi anxious, she struggled to return the expression, but managed a strained one. Soon the team lead knelt down on her other hand, and took a moment to place his hand on her knee as a comforting gesture. Almost out of instinct, Y/n reached for it, holding it in place against her pajama pants as her eyes followed the now pacing rat.

          “This is difficult.” Master splinter began as he finally came to a stop in front of the group of his students. “It is time you all know the truth. The child that I thought I had lost in the fire, Miwa, is Karai, my daughter.”

          The silence in the room was heavy as all eyes landed on the man in front of them, singing with varying degrees of shock. Y/n grip tightened on Leonardo hand as he brain frantically started to make connections. With care, Master Splinter recalled the tale of his home in Japan going up in flames, the death of his wife, the loss of his child. 

          “I thought she had perished, but she was raised by Shredder as his daughter, and trained as a deadly foot assassin.” When Splinter finished walking, Leonardo squeezed Y/n’s knee before he stood and approached his father with a supportive glance.

          This time, the silence was broken within a second by Donatello, trying to properly voice his shock. “Wait, this can’t be.”

          “It’s some kinda joke, right sensei.” Raphael asked, followed closely by his little brother.

          “Karai’s our sister.”

          “Sensei she is still our enemy.” Raph argues while rising to his feet to approach his father. “She was raised by shredder.”

          “Yeah, how can we even trust her.” Donnie added as he and Mikey stood as well. 

          “Karai isn’t all bad.” Y/n suddenly spoke, eyes locked on the floor in front of her, fingers scratching at the mat below. “I mean I've never seen her in the same context in which you all meet but she is my best friend. Rough around the edges, yes, pure evil. No.” 

          “I am glad that someone got to experience who I know she truly is.” Splinter looks at her appreciatively. “There is good in her. I know this. The truth must be told, and it too will be an earthquake.”

***

          After the family meeting, everyone split off to find a way to spend the day. Y/n took this as her opening to change for the day before joining Donatello to finish ehr translations while he went back to tracking the quake patterns, occasionally shouting questions about plate tectonics in her direction. Their productive afternoon was only interrupted when Casey and April suddenly rushed into the lab, the other turtle behind them, and the red-headed girl waved a piece of technology in the air.

          “Donnie! Y/n! Check out what we just stole from the Kraang.” She announced and once she was close enough she lowered the tech so that the two scientists could look at it.

          “Oh wow, let me see that!” Y/n beamed as April passed off the item to her for closer inspection. “This looks alot like the tech we had at my old internship.” 

          An uneasy silence settled over the room, that only Casey seemed brave enough to shatter. “Where did you work exactly?” 

          “A company called TCRI.” The singer explained simply, passing the tech on to Donnie for the turtle to look at. “We did mainly genetic research, but they had some really advanced tech. My main job was to note how different types of DNA reacted to this new chemical the company was producing. They called it Chemical X. It’s the same stuff Tello is working with right now..” 

          “You worked for TCRI!” Leonardo suddenly shouted making the girl jump, while everyone else in the room seemed to be in equal amounts of shock.

          Well everyone except for Donatello who stood a bit straighter. “Thank you!” He exclaimed exasperatedly. 

          “Yes, I did. I don't understand why this is such a big deal.” Y/n huffed, not looking forward to another bout of bickering because of her old workplace. “I worked there for my entire senior year of college and after, until the upper floors blew up and my stupid lab partner blamed me. It was so dumb! I didn't even have upper floor clearance, but no. Miss (L/n) is irresponsible, she is the one who caused the explosion. Complete BS!” 

          “We’ll…” Leonardo started before clearing his throat. “We’ll talk about that later.”

          Y/n rolled her eyes at him before looking at Donatello who had pressed a button on the metal piece making it suddenly hover in the air. Everyone took a step back, unsure what the item would do next, except for April who excitedly moved towards the tech.

          “Cool you got the first part!” she announced before stepping forward and pressing the center button. “And then you press this button and…” She then stepped back as a pink portal opened in the center of the lab. “Portable Portal.” 

          “Wow!” Donatello gushed. “The Kraang are always one step ahead.”

          “I wonder if this could have something to do with the earthquake, after all this type of technology could be disrupting the earth's natural flow.” Y/n mused as she went to move closer to the portal, only for Leonardo to grab her arm and hold her back. “We need to test it.”

          “I don’t know about that? Do you really think it’s a good idea?” The leader asked.

          Before Donnie or Y/n could answer him, Casey pushed past with a scoff. “Well if you turtles are going to be slow about it, I’m going.”

          The boy then approached the portal only to be pushed out of the way by Rapheal, who continuously shouted that he was crazy before looking at the rest of the group proudly. “I’m going first.”

          Without warning the turtle in red rushed for the portal instantly running through it. Without warning, Casey grabbed April's wrist and dragged her alone as he too went though. Shocked by the humans’ actions, Donnie rushed after them. Not one to be left behind, Michelangelo took his turn going through the portal. Y/n attempted to join them as well, but Leonardo’s grip on her arm was too strong as he grumbled under his breath.

          “Come on fraccour, i wanna go explore the portal too.” The singer protested as she tried to pull out of his grip.

          “No,” The turtle responded with a huff as he finally let her go only to stand between her and the portal with a stern look. “You man the portal from this side, Finch.” Leonardo instucked before rushing through the portal as well, leaving her stranded in the lab alone.

          Rolling her eyes, Y/n prepared to disobey the blue clad turtle’s orders, only to be stopped by yet another earthquake. This one was strong enough to throw her to the ground. Not long after, the portal was shaken closed, and the device started to fall towards the floor faster than Y/n could move to catch it. It clambered against the concert, and as soon as the tremors stopped, the girl rushed for it. 

          Instantly she tried to replace the portal and open it again, but it wouldn't. taking it from the air, she started to inspect it only to find a crack on the back of the device. Cursing under her breath, the girl hurried towards one of Donnie’s workbenches and began to analyze the technology knowing that she needed to get it fixed and fast. Who knows what was going on on the other side where all of her friends were currently trapped.

***

          For hours Y/n focused her attention on the irritating piece of technology. Rewiring it more time that she could count, trying twenty different ways to seal the back, scrambling through Donatello's notes to find anything about Kraang tech, or TRCI to try and help her. Right when she was about to give up. The only break she took was a few moments as Master Splinter suddenly appeared saying in a rush that she was to hold down the fort since he needed to go out. 

          That was nearly an hour ago, and the girl was ready to give up. Before that though, Y/n opted to give the levitation one final attempt. Hand cupped below the device, the singer prepared for it to fall, only to pleasantly surprised that it held its position in the air with ease. A pleased expression made its way onto her face as she moved down to the second part of her test. Reaching forward, she pressed the center button, and jumped backwards as the portal suddenly reopened. 

          An excited squeal passed her lips as she saw that she finally got it to work. Knowing that it had taken far too long, she moved forward prepared to at the very least peek her head in to call out to the boys and April and let them know they came back through. Stilling her breath, Y/n moved forward, and nervously leaned her head though the portal. Before she could call out however, her eyes widened. 

          Standing in what appeared to be a hall of portals were some very suspicious and creepy looking figures. There were three identical looking robots holding some kind of gun, weird brain looking things with tentacles flying around in hovercrafts, and one giant blue monkey with one of those brain things as the head. She gasped at what hse sw, and that was all it took for attention to turn to her. Without a second thought the robots began shooting in her direction as the hovercrafts flew to her portal.

          Yelping she back out of the portal, moving behind it before scrambling to get it closed. Before he could however, one of the brains in a hovercraft managed to fly though. Y/n couldn’t stop her scream. Finally getting a hold of the button, the portal fell to the ground and the brain turned to face her. She quickly entered fight or flight mode, and once the thing flew close enough she threw a punch.

          When her hit lands she winces as it’s body forms around her fist coating it with slime. “Gross gross gross!” She screamed before ducking under the hovercraft and running towards the kitchen. 

          Y/n could hear the craft following her, her stomach dropping as she also heard lasers being fired. Picking up speed she slid into the kitchen and began throwing open drawers until she finally got a hold of a chef's knife. Quickly arranging her grip to use it as a weapon the girl took a deep breath before turning towards the Brain and charging to attack. Jumping up, she grabbed it out of the hair and wrestled the beast out of its vehicle.  

          It scratched at her when it was separated, raising its tentacles at her causing Y/n to scream again. She then said the knight and quickly began stabbing and slicing at the little monster until it stopped moving. Once she was certain it was dead the singer all but threw her knight while scrambling backwards, trying to ignore the thick blue liquid that now coated the creature, her knight, and her hand.

          As she moved, the girl gave the brain one final kick, sending it across the room while she shouted, “EW EW EW!” 

          Her screams could be heard throughout the sewers, prompting the three turtle brothers who were currently trudging home break out into a run. Without hesitation they dumped their turn syles only ro freeze when they saw the state of their living room. A Kraang laid in a lifeless blob on one end of the room with its hovercraft abandoned in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, Y/n sat, red-faced and panting as far away from the Alien as she could get. Her eyes only left the creature when she heard the boy's land. Her head whips around to look at them.

          Panic ramined painted across her features, but the fear seemed to lesson when she shouted at them.  “Oh thank god!” 

          “Finch! Are you ok? How did a kranng get in here.” Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo all shouted over each other as they hurried to her side.

          “That’s a kraang?” The girl screeched. Before pushing to her feet, hands rushed to her hair causing the blue liquid, which the group had now concluded was Kraang blood, to drip down her arm and slatter on her head. “It came in through that portal from TRCI, I reopened it as soon as I got the mechanism fixed and looked in to see if you all were there then this thing came out. I mean what the actual fuck even is that! This was TCRI technology and there is no way that is what i worked for, and if it is someone had better tell me now because then i am 2 and 0 for employers and we are going to start background checking companies. Not to mention you all weren’t even there anymore and now you are here so did i just waste my time and get attacked by a frying bubblegum monster for no reason? How did you get out, is that why master splinter had to leave, where is master splinter and what happened to you all, you all look like you got your asses-'' 

          Leo covers her mouth with his hand. “Ok breath,” he starts. “Go change, Raph will get rid of this thing, and I’ll start taking care of Mikey, once you're no longer covered in… whatever that is, i’ll explain everything ok.” 

          “Why do I have to get rid of the body?” Raphael scoffed, but he still made his way over to the lump on the floor, stabbing it with a sai to lift it off the ground.

          “Because you're too peeved to play doctor right now.” 

          “Well yeah i’m peeved you-” His little brother prepared to complan only for Leonardo to cut him off with a glare.

          “We’ll talk about it in a minute, raphael. Just do as you're told for once.” With a grumble, the red turtle turned and walked away with the body to toss it into a septic tank and Leonarod turned back to Y/n squeezing her shoulders again as he whispered. “Go clean up.”

          With a nod, Y/ leave the living room instantly heading to the bathroom. She took a long warm shower, washing herself three times over to try and get the slimy feeling off of her. She didn't know what that thing, that kraang was, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It was disturbing, and apparently dangerous if the boy's tone meant anything. Shaking her head, she took her time getting dried and changed before wandering back to the living room to jump in time to hear the boys talking.

          Silently she tried to pick up bits and pieces. Something about rescuing Master splinter from the shredder. They were planning on going tonight. Adding more speed to her step, the girl rushed to the back of the couch, grabbing Leonardo’s shoulders as soon as she was closer enough.

          Y/n eyes were wide after she heard the plan, and quickly objected. “You three are crazy! You're just going to barge into Mr. Okoru’s house and say what? Hi, i think you have our dad, we’d like him back please.” 

          “No, we're gonna go all ninja.” Leonardo countered.

          Y/n let out a burst of unimpressed laughter. “You're going to get yourselves killed.” 

          “He’s our father.” Mikey tried to argue only to be cut off.

          “Yeah, what do you know, you don’t even have one.” Raphael scoffed

          The room goes silent as she stares at Raphael. Sadness and anger bubble in her from the low blow but she manages to channel it into a scoff as she rises to her feet. “Fine. Go get wrecked. But don’t expect me to be your happy little nurse when you come back.” 

          “Wait finch he didn't mean it.” Leonardo tried to reach out to her, but the girl pulled away. The boys didn't know much about her family, but they knew it was a sensitive topic and they knew both of her parents were gone. Any normal person would know that those things combined should not be used as cannon fodder. 

          “Just don’t die Francoeur, you either Angel.” Y/n grumbled as her final thoughts on the matter before she stormed out of the living room to go sit in the dojo.

          With a huff she sat below the large tree in the Dojo and listened as the boys bicker before grabbing their things and leaving her alone in the lair once again. Crossing her arms she huffed again. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Master Splinter, it was just that she also cared about the boys and their safety. Then there was also that selfish twinge within her that just didn't want to be alone. Her heart was still trying to settle after her fight with that Kraang. Was it too much to ask to just have someone stay back with her? 

          Apparently. Yes.

          Before she could continue her lamenting, the ground began to rumble as another earthquake hit. The tremors shook her thoughts, pun intended, and as soon as the earth settled she lifted to her feet and stormed off to Donatello’s lab. She wanted answers. So pulling up Donnies’ charts she started to theorize, prepared to spend the rest of her night trying to figure out the source of the earthquakes, both to be helpful, and to distract herself for everything else going on tonight. 

***

          When the group finally arrived back home after returning their human friends home, once again with a full group of ninja and their father, Leonardo instantly broke apart from the group in favor of finding Y/n. Raphael had been told off, and was prepared to apologize for  his words, but the leader insisted they waited until the girl woke up. IT was extremely late, or really early since it was just past two am, and the blue clad turtle was hoping that the girl had gone to bed.

          When  he peaked into their room however, he found the bed empty, causing him to squint in confusion. Moving back down the hall, he went to check the next place she could be. Donnie’s lab. 

          When he entered, he first saw Y/n asleep with her head on a desk. His eyes then went to Donatello who was standing beside her looking at a board that she had covered in notes and graphs. IT looked like she was researching the earthquakes and theorizing their cause. Trying to keep quiet Leo walked up to stand next to his little brother and read over Y/n’s notes. 

          “Wow, she was actually really close.” Donatello  mused while looking at his older brother.

          “Giant burrowing mutants.” Leonardo read the large text Y/n scrawled out and circled five times over as if it was her final conclusion.

          “That is pretty much spot on, specially since she doesn't know the full extent of the kranng.” Donnie snorted before glancing over his shoulder at Leo.“You're going to be the one to explain that right?” 

          Leo sighs as he looks back at Y/n, gently stroking her hair as he hummed. “Yeah, I'll handle it.” He then picks her up. “I’m going to take her to bed.” 

          Carefully he held her close as he transported her to her bedroom and rearranged their bodies to lay comfortably together in bed. Before fully drifting off, the turtle pulled Y/n close to his shell and began to chur as he thought to himself.  I got you tangled up in far more than you deserve Finch. But don’t worry. I’ll protect you. 

Chapter Text

            Y/n yawned as she whisked her egg mixture on the tiny bit of counter she had left from the boys. After a lengthy explanation as to what the hell was going on, the household decided that a few days of rest was probably for the best. Leonardo encouraged everyone to find some way to destress during this time. Y/n chose to finish her preliminary training with master splinter. While it did tire her out and make her muscles ache, she found it to be relaxing even when she was getting lectured about her failings, mainly the fact that she was struggling with the spiritual and mental side of ninjutsu. 

            The boys on the other hand, had found a board game that someone had thrown away on their first day of ‘vacation’. One thing leads to another and now the group of four is parading around the sewers dressed up as their in-game characters participating in live action role play. Leonardo had invited her to join, but Y/n politely declined. There were plenty of reasons why. First being that she wasn’t playing the board game, being too busy with training, and the second being she did not want to go sewer hunting for an afternoon. Okay, maybe there weren’t plenty, but there were two. 

            Two was enough for there to be at home, pretty much alone, making cookies for when the boys got back. The unfortunate part of it all, was the fact that the boys had left their board game in the kitchen and spread out of just about every surface. All that remained was the stove and about two square feet of counter space. She was making the most of it regardless, blending her ingredients together carefully until it was time to scoop the cookies and put them into the oven.

            Nearly in time with her closing the oven on her first batch, Y/n heard the tell-tale sign of the brothers return. Heavy footsteps and bickering. They may be twenty-one-year-old men, but they still acted like a group of fifteen-year-olds. It was a little ridiculous, but luckily for them it was also quite endearing. 

            “Finch!?” She suddenly heard Leonardo call out over the top of the argument.

            “Kitchen!” Y/n called back.

            A few moments later the blue clad turtle wandered into the room. He had ditched his knight's helmet already along with this sword and shield, but the cape remained flowing from his shoulders behind him. Without hesitation, he walked up behind Y/n and placed his hands on her hips as she reached over the stove to set the oven counter. When she felt his hands the girl looked over her shoulder with a smile.

            “How was your L.A.R.P.ing?” she asked while landing back on flat feet, back ending up against the turtle’s chest.

            He gave her hips a gentile squeeze, almost as if he was testing the action, as he replied. “More eventful than we expected.”

            “Did you boys stray from the clues? We worked all night on those Francoeur.” 

            “Technically yes, we didn’t use our planned clues.” The turtle admitted earning himself a disgruntled look. “It wasn’t on purpose! We ran into another mutant who had the ability to create illusions. He took over our game and forced us to play along with him to rescue the princesses.”

            “Princesses?” Y/n questioned, pushing Leonardo away just enough to turn around. 

            Once she was facing him, the girl grabbed his wrists, forcing his hands to remain on her hip. She liked them there. As the days continued to pass with them living together the pair had slowly become more comfortable with touch and affectionate interactions. Most recently Leonardo’s go to hand placement has changed, but it was evident that he was still unsure about if the change was welcomed or not. So every time the turtle chose to grab Y/n by her hips rather than her shoulders, the girl made a point to hold them into the position as a way to let him know that the action was more than welcome.

            “Yes, princesses.” The turtle smiled, giving her hips a more confident squeeze while leaning against Y/n’s hands which she placed on his plastron, fingers tracing the scars that littered the hard surface. “The Mutant, Malachi, made an illusion of you and April trapped and waiting for us to rescue you.”

            The girl gasped dramatically while looking up to meet the turtle’s eyes. “Oh no! Did the brave knight come to rescue me?”

            He transferred his grip from your hips in favor of wrapping his arms fully around your back and pulling you closer to his chest. “Yes, your majesty, you’re safe now.”

            Y/n gasped at the action, but was quick to pull it into her act, letting her arms wrap around his shoulders as a sudden boldness rushed through her. “Thank you, brave knight. Allow me to present you with a token of my appreciation.”

            Biting her bottom lip, Y/n looked between Leonardo’s eyes and his lips before raising onto her toes. As she adjusted her grip to keep balance the turtle’s arms tightened around her. For a split second he could see his eyes widen before they slowly relaxed into a hooded position. He leaned down enough to bump his snout against your nose, his personal way of giving you an out. Just in case you forgot who you were talking to or didn't realize how close you had become.

            That being said, the turtle in blue was really hoping that you knew what you were doing. He had been thinking about this moment, as well as the last time you were in this situation. He wanted it to come to a head. He wanted to kiss you. Last time, he was interrupted by his little brother, but this time they were busy arguing. Leonardo smiled at the thought, the expression only further encouraged when Y/n nuzzled her nose against his snout and leaned in further. 

            “Yo! I smell cookies!” Michelangelo’s voice suddenly ricocheted off the walls of the kitchen, causing the pair to instantly jump apart and turn in two separate directions. They weren't fast enough however, since the youngest turtle was fast to ask a follow up question. “Uh… what are you guys doing?”

            Clearing her throat, Y/n responded fast, her back to the turtles as she began opening drawers. “Nothing Angel, the cookies will be done in a few minutes.” Finally, her flustered mind managed to find the spoons, with three in hand she made her way to her bowl of dough, flashing a smile in Mikey’s direction. “Want some cookie dough in the meantime?”

            “Yes please!” The younger turtle beamed, no longer caring about what the mat of interrupted.

            “What about you, Sir Knight.” Y/n asked Leonardo, glancing at him from the corner of her eye, relieved to discover that when turtles blushed it was at least subtle. Which was more than she could say for herself, after all, she could feel the heat radiating off of her cheeks. 

            He cleared his throat before replying,  his voice higher than usual. “Why not.”

            Y/n giggled a bit when she noticed the crack but tried to hide it. Carefully she spooned out three servings of cookie dough and finally calmed her heart enough to turn and face Leo, being careful to keep his spoon between them. “Your token good sir.”

            “Thank you, fair maiden, I will forever appreciate it.” he replied with a smile. It wasn’t the token he was hoping for, but with his little brother present it was the best he would get. Even so, he purposely grabbed the spoon in a way that would cause their fingers to drag against one another. Without breaking eye contact, the turtle placed the spoon into his mouth, and instantly his expression changed to one of pure bliss. “Ok in all seriousness this is delicious.”

            “I’m glad,” Y/n beamed as she reached over the island to hand Mikey his serving. “So tomorrow back to the grind?”

            “Yep, training is back up for us, and after ours I’ll start working with you.” the leader replied.  “If Master Splinter gives the thumbs up we might be finding you a weapon tomorrow.”

            “That’s awesome dudette!” Mikey jumped in between licks. “Word of advice, choose the chucks.”

            Y/n couldn’t stop her laugh that time as she dragged her own spoon from her mouth. “I’ll give myself a concussion.”

            “I’m thinking of some kind of knife,” Leonardo mused. “After all, you mutilated that Kranng with a chef’s knife. Get you a good quality weapon we can work on training your instinct.”

            “Sounds good to me.” The singer shrugged, admittedly not having much preference when it came to weapons. She was simply excited to get one. Y/n did have one request though. “Can the wraps be like a china rose sorta color?”

            “You're picking a color already?” The youngest turtle smirked, “Bold move.”

            “Is it? I figured color coding was just the thing.” the girl shrugged in response as she finished off her cookie dough. “I mean, all four of you have a color, then April is all about yellow. As the sixth student my color options are fading fast, I need to swoop in a pick one.” 

            Leonardo chuckled a bit as he finished his serving. Dragging the utensil from his mouth the turtle leaned down and pushed his lips against Y/n’s hair line before tossing his spoon into the sink and leaving the kitchen with a final shout of his shoulder. “I’ll see about china rose for you Finch.” 

            “Woah… did he just kiss you,” Mikey mumbled. “That’s a serious flex.” 

            The next day, Y/n all but bounced into the dojo when the brothers filed out after their morning training. Her ponytail was secured high on her head, her legging and sports bra matched, her hands were skillfully wrapped so that she stopped mutilating her knuckles. She was ready! First training with Leonardo as her sensei, and her potential first training with a weapon. When she skipped over the threshold, the bleu clad turtle couldn’t help but chuckle from his position standing beside his father.

            “Is she always this eager?” He asked.

            Master Splinter hummed at the question before replying with a smirk. “No,  I believe this reaction is simply to you.” 

            Leo wanted to question, but he didn't have any time, since as soon as he looked forwards once again he saw Y/n settling on her knees before them like a proper student. She bowed her head momentarily before looking back up with a bubbly laugh. Her eyes were shining as she waited for one of them to speak. She looked so excited. It made Leonardo’s heart flutter. He wished he could just pause time and cherish the moment forever. The turtle couldn't stop himself from staring down at her fondly.

            Prior to her entering, he and his father had discussed her progress. She was excelling at the physical side ninjitsu but would need help with the spiritual side. Splinter had been helping her further her knowledge of jujitsu and chi-blocking but planned to leave all weapons training to his son. Last night, the father son duo had debated back and forth on weapon options before finally settling on two. They then went through their family’s arsenal to find what they needed, and Leonardo sent a text to April for a very specific shade of pink fabric.

            Luckily, his friend managed to deliver the fabric to him while Y/n was in the shower late last night, so he was able to sneak it into the dojo and prepare her weaponry. Carefully he wrapped each item in the fabric, color coding it specifically for the singer. He just hoped that she liked it. 

            “Leonardo, your student is waiting.” His father suddenly spoke, breaking his thoughts. 

            “Oh! Um right, sorry Y/n.” The turtle jumped at his father’s words, but quickly recovered. Moving to a small table behind them he grabbed the weapons hidden in the remaining fabric from April. With careful hands he brought them back to Y/n, knelt to her level and placed them in her laps. “Master Splinter and I had a long discussion when it came to which weapons would best suit you. Please, take a look.”

            Somehow, the girl’s smile grew wider as she delicately unfolded the fabric to reveal four kunai daggers, their thing handles delicately wrapped in strips of china rose fabric. Carefully she set the bundle on the floor in front of her before picking up one of the taggers and testing the feel in her hand. It felt almost custom to her hand. The natural comfort she felt when her fingers curled around the thin handle made her wonder how she had gone this long without it. Even without wielding the dagger, it felt like an extension of herself. Like it was destined to be hers. 

            Unfolding her hand, Y/n used her free hand to drag and finger against the wrapping and smiled. “China rose.” she whispered to herself before looking up to Leonardo’s eyes. “Thank you, Sensei Leonardo.” 

            With a smile the turtle chuckled as he reached out to place his hand under Y/n’s that was holding her Kunai. “That is going to take some getting used to.” 

            The only response he got from Y/n was a sweet smile before she placed down her dagger and looked back expectantly. There was a new determination in her eyes that Leonardo understood. She was ready to move on, ready to start learning.  There was still something missing. Prompting Y/n to stand, Leonardo went back to the table and grabbed a black leather belt with a black custom thigh holder hanging from it. 

            With a smile, the turtle approached Y/n and carefully secured the belt to her waist. Silently she watched him tighten it around her hips before he fell to his knees in front of her and tapped her knee. Obediently, she widened her stance allowing him to tighten the sheath to her thigh. The then raised a hand and asked for her daggers. She passed them to him and landed Leo to delicately secure them one by one. 

            Once done, he grabbed her hips, and used them as leverage to stand. When he rose to his feet however, he didn't release her, he simply squeezed her while his thumbs glided against the leather of her new belt. “Start wearing this during training. Not only will it keep your weapon close, but you will also have to get used to fighting with it. If or when you come out with us for a mission or patrol you will also be expected to wear it. Understood.”

            “Hai, Sensei.” Y/n replied, though it lacked power, hardly breaking a whisper. 

            Leonardo was certain he would have replied in a similar tone if it wasn’t for his father clearing his throat behind him, quickly getting them back on track. “Right! Let’s begin.” 

***

            Y/n were breathing heavily as she reached for a second Kunai from her sheath. Leonardo had already managed to disarm her once, that dagger now laying abandoned near the wall of the dojo. Currently, the first was running past her sensei, one blade still secured to her leg while she attempted to grip the other two properly for her next move. She was circling, looking for an opening. 

            It has been four weeks since they’ve started this cycle.. Four weeks of learning how to use her weapons and sparing. She was now comfortable with them, but still far from a master. Hell, some days it felt as if she had never held a dagger before. Luckily for her, today had been a good day. Unfortunately, that meant that Leonardo was using his swords during this match. Those damned swords had already cut her shoulder as he gripped her arm, forcing her to lose her first Kunai; she was not going to let him get another scratch. At least not without a bit of a fight. 

            Once she felt confident, Y/n stopped running in a secure stance and threw both daggers in quick succession towards Leonardo aiming for his wrists. Her hope that was a knick would shock him enough to drop at least one of his swords, an action that, per the rules of their sparing, would render the sword unusable. That, however, did not happen. Instead, she hissed out a curse and the turtle quickly blocked both of her daggers.

            “A ninja never throws her weapon.” he scolded before rushing towards her.

            Moving fast, Y/n jumped to dodge and went for their final knife. “You're the one who said they doubled as throwing knives.” 

            Leo began his assault, narrowing missing Y/n as she continued to move backwards. “Only when your accuracy is better.” 

            The girl grumbled as she glared at him, dodging once again, this time by ducking under his arm. With her free hand she landed a few quick jabs up the back of his arm. Leo winced as his muscles suddenly cramped up causing him to drop one of his swords. He was fast to adjust, however. So, with one arm now uselessly dangling at his side, he raised his other, pointing the tip of his sword in Y/n’s direction. 

            She was overconfident now; she had only managed to partially disarm Leo once before. Riding this high she rushed in without calculation, attempting to get him in a position that she could pin him with her weapon at his throat. Leonardo was smarter, and far more calculated, so as she lunged for her attack, he swung his numb arm in her direction throwing her off balance. Kicking out her legs, Y/n landed hard on her knees and not a moment later Leo had his arm aggressively throw aroused her shoulder forcing her back to arch up against his chest all while he fell to straddle her ankles. 

            “Don’t get overconfident.” He scolded. “Using your chi-blocking would have been much more successful than that mad dash. You already incapacitated my left arm, and I purposely left an opening for you to do the same for my right. You could have won this one Finch, but instead you got cocky and tried to go for a more aggressive attack.”

            “Hai, Sensei,” Y/n replied simply as she thought over his words. “I’ll do my best to improve.” 

            “I know you will.” Carefully the turtle dropped Y/n from his grip and as he pulled her to her feet, Leonardo gave his praise. “I’m really proud of your progress, Finch. You’ve impressed me.”

            “Thank you,” She beams in response before wandering to the side of the room to collect the Kunai that now dotted the floor. “Do you think I'm doing well enough to… I don't know… leave the lair?” 

            Leo visibly hesitated at the question. He didn’t want her to leave the lair. She was safe here. But then again, if he never let her leave then Y/n was less of a roommate and more of a prisoner in his home. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel trapped. Still. It was dangerous out there. The shredder may not be actively hunting for her, but if he or his minions happened upon her, it was likely that she could be taken as some kind of constellation prize. 

            His eyes followed Y/n as she carefully sheathed her knives on her thigh before approaching him, one hand brushing strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face. She was skilled. Even if she had yet to win a match, Y/n was getting better than holding her own with her weapons. Before they started training her she was able to add to the two battles she had gotten tangled up in. She even managed to pin a man and break his arm. Y/n was nothing to sneeze at. There was also her ability to utilize chi-blocking. After working with Master splinter, she had all but mastered transferring the practice to mutants. 

            Rubbing at his numb shoulder at the thought Leonardo forced himself to respond. “Fine. But only on a low-risk mission or patrol, and only if you're with the rest of us. It’s still not safe for you to be going out on your own.”

            “Really!” The girl’s face lit up and she had to force back the desire to tackle him with a hug. After all, part of their dojo ground rules was that as soon as they passed the threshold Leonardo was her sensei, and she was the student. Hugging would be weird. Instead, she let herself jump up and down like an excited child arriving at a candy store. “Thank you Francoeur! Thank you, Thank you!”

            “Yeah yeah,” He grumbled while forcing his smile to stay subtle. Releasing his shoulder Leo waved Y/n off. “Now get out of here, I know you said you and Don were close to come kind of break through.” 

            Y/n’s eyes lit up at the mention of her experiments. Bouncing on her toes she rushed towards the exit. “Thank you!”

            With a wide smile the girl made her way to Donnie’s lab. She was more than ready to get back to work. According to their calculations the base for their retro-mutagen should be done today. As she trained Donnie was getting a head start with the other ingredients as well as stabilizing their base. It would be time to add the final ingredients soon, and she really didn’t want to miss it.

            When she arrived at the lab she tugged the door open with more force than usual. Inside, Donnie was fussing between various desks while April sat at a nearby table with her head resting on her folded arms. The poor girl looked only a few seconds from falling asleep, and only managed to roll her head to the side to send a tired smile in Y/n’s direction. Kindly, she greeted the red head who hummed in response. Their greeting caught the turtle’s attention, and he stood  a bit straighter with a smile.

            “Ah there you are, partner!” Donatello cheered as she walked into the lab. “Straight out of training?”

            “Yep.” the singer chirped back, stretching out her muscles as she walked further into the space.

            “Finally get one on Leo?” the red head muttered tiredly.

            “Nope, he kicked my ass.” Y/n sighed as she leaded against the table being careful not to sit on any of April’s papers. “How about you, April, manage to sort through Tello’s ramblings?”

            “Hardly.” She yawned. “Seriously Donnie, are we done yet. It’s been hours.” 

            “No worries April,” The turtle replied with a slight stutter. “This time, it's gonna work. We’ll finally turn your dad human again.” 

            The red head smiled a bit at her statement as Y/n wandered over to Donnie’s side of the table, prepared to hand him the required ingredients for this experiment. They had been working on their retro-mutagen base for a month now, Donnie even longer on his own, and now it was finally stable. As they worked together, the turtle had slowly, but surely filled in the singer on what exactly they were working on. The first reason was obvious. Master Splinter used to be human, and Donatello wanted to be able to turn him back if he could.

            The second was a bit more complicated. Through many long, hesitant explanations, Y/n was finally able to piece together that the boys were one, responsible for the explosion that caused her to lose her job at TCRI and two the reason why there were so many mutants wandering around New York. They had lost dozens of mutagen canisters after fighting with the Kranng about a year ago. One of the canisters broke on April’s father and mutated him. Since then, Donnie has been more motivated than ever to make a remedy.

            “Now, I've just got to add a bit of April’s DNA.” Donnie explained, prompting Y/n to hand over the dropper with her blood in it. “Brace yourselves girls.” 

            As he stirred a new sound echoed through the lab. Soft snores. Looking up, the scientist pair saw that April had fallen asleep. Exchanging soft smiles, they silently agreed to work quietly as the retro-mutagen processed. Once ready, Y/n took a small amount of Donatello’s blood and viewed the cells under the microscope. They were obviously mutated, and the sample would work well as a tester. Pulling the slide off, she nodded at the turtle who prepped a second slide with a few drops of his blood and a drop of the retro-mutagen. 

            With a shaking breath he covered the lids and put it under the microscope while changing. “Please turn normal, please turn normal.” 

            He then grumbled in disappointment as he stepped away, just enough for y/n to cut in for a look, when she did however, she caught the cells just in time to watch the mutant cells snap into healthy normal cells. “Wait! Tello! Look!” 

            Moving quickly, she let the turtle look again, and soon enough he gasped as well. “Eureka! We did it! We really did it!”

            Out of excitement Donatello scooped Y/n up in his arms and started twirling her around as she squealed. Their excitement woke April who was soon to her feet as well, face filled with hope as she shouted over them. “You did it?! You two really did it!”

            “Did what?” Leonardo asked as he, along with the rest of the family, made their way into the lab to investigate the screaming they had heard. 

            “Invent Pizza that doesn't get soggy in milk?” Mikey suggested, though his comment went unnoticed through the rising buzz in the room. 

            “We finally did it, Francoeur!” Y/n shouted as she rushed away from Donatello in favor of jumping into a hug with the eldest turtle. “Retro-mutagen!”

            “The key to turning Mr. O’Neil human again!” Donatello beamed, then turned to his father. “And you too, sensei.” 

            “Human once more?” Master splinter muttered in surprise before suddenly turning his back to the others in preparation to leave. “Save April’s father first, and then I will consider it.” 

            The man left without another word, leaving them all to exchange uneasy glances. They had expected him to gratefully accept the retro-mutagen, not turn it down, but it also made sense. Master Splinter was an honorable man, he will always put the needs of others above his own. This was no different.

            Distracted by their retreating father, the pair almost didn’t notice when Michelangelo zoomed past them all, grabbing the beaker of retro-mutagen as he went. In a panic Y/n wiggled herself out of Leonardo's arms and prepared to run after him, but Donnie and Raph were already on it, quickly crowding their littler brother as he spoke. 

            “Ooo! What if I turn myself human again!?” Mikey announced excitedly as he lifted the realtor-mutagen to study it. “I wonder what I’d look like”

            “We were never human to begin with, genius.” Raphael grumbled at his little brother. “We’d just turn back into turtles.” 

            Y/n giggled at the interaction. “I bet you all were adorable little turtles though.” 

            “Really? You want us to lose the human DNA.” Raph presses, eyes flicking to Leo as he speaks.

            “No, never said I wanted you to do it, just said I bet you all were cute.” Y/n replied before turning to face the red clad turtle head on. Resting her weight on one hip, she smirked. “Though I thought it was obvious that you were the exception in that statement, Raphael.”

            “Give me that.” Donatello suddenly cut in, stealing the beaker away from his little brother to place it safely on the counter once again. “I only have enough for two doses, one for April's dad and one for master splinter.”

            “Can you make more of the stuff?” Leo asked, while squeezing Y/n’s shoulder causing her to look up at him.

            “In theory yes, but it took ten canisters of mutagen to make a single dose of retro-mutagen.” The girl explained.

            “And we don’t have any left.” Donnie sighed, then turned his attention to April. “But at least we can find your dad and change him back.” 

            The red-heads mouth opened and shut a few times before she squealed. “I’m speechless! Thank you! Thank you so much Donnie! You’re the best!”

            Wrapping her arms around his neck, April pulled Donatello down to her level to kiss a quick kiss onto his cheek. The girl then swiftly released him and rushed from the room, shouting something about needing to gather her things so they could go out soon, though it sounded a bit more like a jumbled mess. Not that Donnie would have replied to her anyway. No, the purple clad turtle was too busy face planting against his desk in a lovesick haze. 

            Y/n could stop laughter from bubbling up when she saw this, but soon she snapped back into work mode. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and placed her hand securely against Leonardo's plastron. She gave a few steady shoves while asking them to leave so they could finish up here. Raph and Mikey obeyed her request intently, rushing past or getting out of the room, but the leader chose to resist. Though the smile on his face proved that it was mostly in jest.

            He turned his back to her and forced Y/n to shove him closer and closer to the door while he chuckled at her. Before she could push him over the threshold however, Leonardo turned back around and lightly brushed a strand of loose hair out of her face with a smile. 

            “Great job, Finch. You two are a great team.” he praised.

            “Thank you,” The girl hummed, leaning into his hand for a moment before going back to shoving him. “Now get, so we can get the chemical contained.”

            The turtle let out a hard laugh but obeyed. “Yes, ma’am. Then get showered and changed. I want you to come with us to find Mr. O’Neil.”

            “Really?!”

            “You earned it.” Leo laughed. “You’ve done great with training, and you two figured out the retro-mutagen. You should get to see it work.” 

            “Thank you Francoeur! I’ll be fast I promise.” With that, she slammed the door in his face and released an excited girly squeal. “Wake up Tello! We gotta get this into vials for administration.” 

            That managed to wake up the turtle, and in an instant he was rushing around. After a few moments he passed Y/n one of two glass vials and instructed her to put half of the mixture into it. Nodding she began to fill it as Donnie started to clean up the desk, and safely dispose of anything that might be contaminated.

            After a few moments of comfortable silence, Y/n chose to break it by pressing a question that had been pestering her own mind for a while now. “So, you and April?”

            “Ha I wish,” The turtle laughed humorously. “It’s too complicated, I’m a mutant and she’s a human. Not to mention we’ve been friends for six years now. If something was going to happen it would have happened by now right.” 

            “Firstly, you can’t think too much about the human mutant thing. You guys are fifty percent human, and if that bugged her she would have run for the hills by now.” Y/n explained simply, setting aside her first full vial before moving onto the next. “Secondly, being friends for a long time just means that you're already close. Maybe you just need to make a move. An obvious one.”  

            Donatello rolled his eyes. He felt like he had been being obvious, but still, he’d hear her out. “What do you suggest?”

            “Why not use a cool pick-up line or something,” Y/n suggested with a shrug as she capped off the second vial of retro-mutagen.

            “You can’t be serious.”

            “I am, girls like funny guys, so even if you cringe, being able to laugh at yourself is a good thing.”

            Donatello looked unconvinced when he approached to grab the vial, but still he gave in. “Fine I'll bite, what should I say.” 

            “Well, you can always go science since that’s kinda your thing.” Y/n suggested.

            “There are science pick up lines?” 

            “Yep. like…” The singer dramatically cleared her throat as she sat up a bit straighter. “Are you Carbon because I’d love to date you.” 

            She giggled at herself and soon Donnie started laughing right along with her. “That is so bad.” 

            “It's great!” Y/n beamed then nudged her lab partner with her shoulder. “Seriously though. As cliche as it is, my best advice to you is to just be yourself. If April can’t like you for you then maybe she’s not worth it.” 

***

            Y/n officially decided that running across rooftops is still just as stressful as it was the first two times she did this. At least this time she was in leggings and a hoodie rather than a show dress and heels. Downside, rather than being held bridal style, she was desperately clinging to Leo’s back trying to ignore the handles of her daggers that were painfully digging into her leg thanks to the position the turtle was holding her in. Glancing to her right she saw April clinging to Donnie in a similar fashion, but she seems much more comfortable. Six years of this kind of travel must make you get used to it. 

            Soon enough, they came to a stop on an empty rooftop. As Y/n slid from her perch on Leo’s shell she looked towards an adjacent rooftop and had to hold in a gasp. On a billboard attempting to drink the blood of the picture it displayed was a giant bat mutant, who looked far more terrifying and, well, mutant-like, than the others she had met. His head was bulbous with a pulsing green vein, his body looked almost human, but deformed in a way, then there were the wings. Huge bat wings with four fingered hands at the tips that appeared to be fully functional.

            Her heart ached for April. Not only was her father most likely scared and in pain in this form but seeing him this way couldn't be easy on her. Silently, Y/n glanced towards her friend to see her holding her hands close to her chest as she approached the edge of the roof.

            “Dad.” whispered, voice full of longing. It was evident that she wanted to rush to him.

            “Alright girls, hang back.” Leo instructed while physically moving himself to stand between the human s and the edge of the roof.  “We don’t want to rail him up like last time.”

            “But I can help.” April argued.  “I can calm him down.”

            “Um… what happened last time?” Y/n asked. April was fast to respond, but Raphael cut her off.

            “Last time, he took her to his nest and tried to feed her dead rats.” Raphael explained simply, his head lolling to the side to give April that clearly showed that he thought she was nuts. 

            “Good point.” The red head resigned, earning her a series of nods before the turtle turned their attention towards the adjacent roof where they could reach April’s father. 

            Without another word, the boys all took their place on the edge of the roof and shot grappling hooks across the alleyway. Skillfully they swung from one roof to the next, all landing as silent as possible around Mr. O’Neil’s sleeping form. From where they stood, the girls couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they still chose to watch, not wanting to miss a second of the boys working. 

            The pair was so focused that when they felt a sudden burst of wind rush past their backs, they both jumped out of their skin and turned. Y/n pulled a dagger and April had her hand on her folded tessen in anticipation. Neither of them saw anything, so they exchanged a weary look before looking back towards the boys. Still, they felt watched. 

            A few moments passed then suddenly they heard Donatello yelp. The sound woke Mr. O’Neil, and instantly the bat mutant took to the skies. He flew away faster than any of them could react, swooping down near the girls as he went. 

            “Dad, No!” 

            “Mr. O’ Neil!”

            The girls shouted as he flew away into the night. This plan was quickly going awry. Y/n wanted to go to comfort April, but before she could, they heard Donnie shouting from the other rooftop.

            “No! The retro-mutagen!”

            Turning, they saw the turtles face to face with a giant fly man. “What the hell is that?” Y/n asked.

            “A new mutant?” April suggested, clearly just as confused. 

            The mutant then turned and flew towards them. The girls both panicked as he reached for them. Acting fact, April shoved Y/n out of the way, resulting in her getting packed up instead. Trying to react properly and with enough speed to be effective Y/n fumbled with the dagger in her hand, changing her grip to throw it at the mutant.

            Miraculously, she hit her target, blade grazing his arm, but the shock it caused was enough for the mutant to drop April. Y/n was a moment away from shouting out in panic as she rushed towards the edge of the roof. Before she could get fair, an arm wrapped around her waist keeping her in place and the mutant caught April once again. Y/n spared a glance over her shoulder to see Leonardo holding her as he glared at the mutants, the other brothers gathering around them with similar expressions. 

            “I know who that is!” Raphael announced. “It’s Derek Stockboy!”

            “Baxter Stockman!” the fly hissed back. “Come to my lab, and you will bring more retro-mutagen, or the girl mutants with me!”

            The mutant then disappeared just as Mr. O’Neil had, taking April with him. Y/n called out to her, and tried to follow, but Leo’s grip on her tightened. There was nothing they could do right now. They needed to regroup at the lair.

            “Wow, we really messed that one up.” Mikey sighed as he looked in the direction that the mutant retreated. 

            “I only have one vial left.” Donatello stressed. “It’ll take months to synthesize more.” 

            “Don’t worry Donnie,” Leonardo tried to soothe, but it was evident that his little brother was struggling to believe him. “We’ll get her back and make her dad human again.’

            “Let’s hope so.” the youngest sighed. “Let's really hope so…”

            Raphael quickly shoved his little brother down, providing enough distraction for Y/n to wiggle out of Leonardo’s grip and run to the edge of the roof. She looked towards where April was taken. Here was no way they could catch up with them now. With a resigned sigh she then looked down, trying to scan the alley floor of her weapon which should have landed somewhere below.

            “We need to get back to the lair.” Leonardo suddenly said from behind her, making the girl jump. 

            “But my kunai I…” She started to explain, but the turtle gave her shoulder a squeeze to cut her off.

            “Don’t worry Finch,” Leo interrupted, then looked at Mikey who nodded.

            “I’ll get it for you dudette.”

            “Thanks.” She muttered as she turned away from the edge.

            When she spun she saw that Leo had already turned his back to her and lowered to a crouch, allowing her climb onto his back. One her arms were secure, he stood up straight again, arms linking under her thoughts. The leader looked towards the others, and with a silent nod, they were off, rushing back home to the lair. 

            When they arrived back at the lair Leo set Y/n down before turning to talk to sensei about their mission while Donnie went to the lab to grab the second vial of retro-mutagen. Y/n went to follow, but stopped when Mikey jumped in front of her, her lost kunai in his hand. Sweetly she smiled and thanked him, before taking the knife and sitting on the couch. Mikey and Raph were quick to join her.

            The three waiting in silence, not quite sure what to do with themselves. Raph leaded back dramatically grumbling about their failure while Mikey began fussing around as if trying to find a comfortable way to lay. Y/n watched the youngest brother as she fiddled with the dagger in her hand, letting the sharp tip press into the pad of her finger as she mindlessly counted out the ridges the wraps caused.

            “Nice hit by the way.” Raph said suddenly, breaking through the silence of the room.

            Y/n looked up in surprise, but quickly shook the feeling away and looked back down at her legs, tugging at the seam of her leggings. “Would have been nicer if it didn't nearly cause April to fall to her death.”

            “But she didn’t.” The turtle reminded her. It was clear from his tone that he was attempting to cheer her up, but it didn’t do much.

            Even so, Y/n managed to look back at him with a strained smile. “No, she only got taken by a fly man.” 

            Before Raphael could continue, Leonardo wandered back into the room with a serious expression. It was evident that he was in full leader mode now. Eager to get moving on saving their friend, the singer reacted fast.

            “Your back!” Y/n said excitedly, raising to her feet in front of the turtle. “What’s the plan to get April?” 

            “I already called Casey. He, Donnie and I will go in to save April.” Leonardo started to explain before looking over your shoulder towards his two little brothers who were still lodging on the couch. “While Raph and Mikey will capture Mr. O’Neil.” 

            Y/n hummed as she listened before looking up at him with a smile. “And what about me?” 

            “You’ll stay here with sensei.” he replied simply, and Y/n's smile vanished.

            “What! Why?”

            “Because you're still new at this and this is a big deal mission.” he tried to explain but the girl was having none of it.

            “And changing a mutant bat into a human wasn’t a big deal mission.” She asked, while shifting her weight into her standard, you are walking yourself down a dangerous street, pose. Arms crossed in front of her chest and weight resting on her right hip. “Oh, just wait till I tell April that.” 

            Seeing her change in stance and attitude, Leo's eyes widened, and we quickly attempted to back track while still holding his ground. “Well, it was a big deal, but this is a recuse and as I said you're new at this and not as well trained in fighting and just got your weapons this morning, so I just don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to come.” 

            “Are you saying I'm weak?” 

            “Well, no it’s just that you're weaker than…us…” He trailed off and knew instantly he said the wrong thing. Y/n looked less than impressed. A single brow raised, waiting for him to finish his sentence, but he knew that no matter what he said, the woman would just get angrier. Desperate, le looked over his shoulder toward his little brothers who were now watching the exchange with interest. “Damn it, Raphael, help me out here.” 

            The red clad turtle smirked at his older brother with a shrug. “You dug your own grave Leo.” 

            “So, I am weak?” Y/n glared her finger now pressing aggressively against Leo’s chest. “Still some damsel in distress that needs a big strong knight to save me?” 

            “Yes! I mean, no, I mean.” Leo stumbled over his words as he grabbed her offending hand and forced it back to the side. “It’s ok to need to be saved.” 

            “It is, but it’s April that needs saving right now, not me. So, tell me, how is me staying here going to help save April.” The girl asked, only to be greeted with silence. “Exactly. I’m coming.”

            “No, you aren’t.” 

            “Yes I am.” 

            “No, you aren’t.” 

            “Why not!” Y/n finally shouted, breaking their seemingly endless cycle

            “Cause I'm the leader and your sensei.” Leo bit back, but it only made the girl scoff.

            “Well, I'm your roommate and the one who feeds you. So, you can either have no bed and no meals or you can let me come with you.”

            That caught everyone’s attention, but it was Mikey who was first to object. “Woah dude! We're all being punished if you don’t let her go.” 

            “Fine! But stay in the shadows and out of trouble. You’ll help Donnie get to April directly, under no circumstances are you to join the fight.”

            That was all it took. Y/n mood did a full one-eighty. She squealed excitedly and jumped on her toes until she finally lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Leonardo in a tight hug.

            “Thank you thank you thank you!” She chanted before landing back on her feet, pulling the turtle down with her to kiss his cheek. When Y/n pulled away she practically ran for the living room while shouting, “I need to re-do my hair.”

            Silently the brothers watched as she ran off, and eventually Raphael chuckled.  “She has you whipped, man.” 

            “Well do you want to go back to Mikey’s cooking?” Leonardo argued.

            The red turtle shrugged as he stood from his spot to gather the supplies he would need to capture Mr. O’Neil. “Not saying it was the wrong choice, just that I stand by the statement.”

***

            When Y/n returned to the living room, ponytail now replaced with a tight French braid, she was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar man standing in the living room talking to the turtles. He was completely teched out in hockey gear and skull face paint, but still she recognized him. Not that it would have been hard to guess even if she didn’t. After all, the turtles didn’t exactly talk to many humans.

            “Hey Casey! Long time no see.” Y/n beamed as she approached the boy, happily accepting the side hug that was offered to her.

            “Hey Pidge, I heard you’re coming with us this time.” 

            “Hell yeah!” She cheered before looking out over the room to see everyone else’s status. Leonardo seemed ready, as did Raphael, and Mikey was…“What is he wearing?”

            “Best not to ask.” Leonardo huffed.

            Y/n wanted to question more, but instead, Donatello entered/ “On that note, we had better go. I’ve got our final dose of retro-mutagen, and time is of the essence.”

            “Alright, let's head out.” The leader nodded then turned his attention to the sole girl, expression serious. “Finch, you remember our deal?”

            “Yeah yeah, sick to the shadows and out of trouble.” Y/n recited back to him as he approached. 

            “Good.” Leonardo nodded, then crouched down with his back to her. Obediently, she climbed on, and the pair quickly worked to get her secure. “Let's move.”

            Casey smirked at what he saw and glanced over to Donnie with her arms out expectantly. The turtle in purple rolled his eyes at the man and shoved past, causing Casey to call out with a chuckle. “What no piggyback ride for me?”

            The man's comment went ignored, and the rest of the journey went on in silence. Creeping through the darkness, the group opened one of the sky lights of Baxter’s lab and dropped four ropes down. They slid down with ease, landing in a back corner, far enough out of the way to not be seen, but close enough that they could watch as the fly mutant tired their friend up over a vat of mutagen. 

            Y/n was proud of April. She didn’t look panicked, instead, the red head was attempting to reason with the mutant as he ranted about his plan. Front he sounds of it; he was going to mutate him and April to create some mega mutant. This is of course, only if Donnie didn’t hand over the retro-mutagen.  

            Shaking her head, Y/n tried to find the fastest way to get to the upper level. Just to the right of the mutagen vat, there was a metal staircase. That was probably her best route, as long as it remained clear. She could sneak behind some of the random machinery for most of the journey and only have to make a mad dash in the end. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Leonardo before gesturing her route with her head. The turtle in blue traced the same route she figured before turning back to her with a nod.

            Mission approved, Y/n rose to her toes in preparation to run only to suddenly jump and look over her shoulder when a loud noise resonated from behind her. The sound of a clap. When she turned she saw Casey looking a bit sheepish as his hands were slapped together above his head. Just as the noise caused his teammate’s attention the fly mutant turned in their direction.

            “Turtles! You thought you could sneak in, but you failed.” the fly hissed. “No retro-mutagen, no trade.”

            “I got your retro-mutajunk, right here.” Casey shouted back before jumping to his feet and using a hockey stick as an air guitar.

            It appeared that the mutant was just as unimpressed by Casey's actions as his team, since he simply tuned and spit acid onto the rope that was securing April in place. Their time was now ticking. Stockman dove in their direction, prompting Casey to rush forward with an attack as the rest of the team ran to enact their part of the rescue plan. 

            Leo prepared for a secondary attack while Donnie and Y/n moved forward. The scientific pair parted ways only a few feet from the vat. The turtle stopped to launch his grabbing hook and start his assent up the side of the canister while Y/n turned to get to the steel stairs. She gripped the rails as she hurried up the steps, praying that she didn't trip and embarrass herself. From below she could hear Donnie scream. Y/n spared a quick glance, only to see that he had been tossed from his rope. Her eyes then moved ahead to April. The rope was continuing to thin.

            As soon as she made it to the upper level, the singer started searching for a good angle to make a leap. The vat of mutagen was a few feet below her, if she could gauge her jump correctly, she should be able to make it from this upper level to the rim of the canister, and hopefully help with catching April before she fell. 

            “Guys! A little help here!” April called out as Y/n started climbing over the railing.

            “I’m coming, April!” she shouted to her, while stealing her nerves. 

            Just as the girl pushed off of the railing Donatello made it to the rim. Nearly in sync with his landing, April’s rope snapped, and the girl began to fall. Y/n’s eyes widened, and she shifted her weight, hoping to angle herself in a way to catch her friend. It appeared that Donnie had a similar plan, for he had jumped from the rim and was going for the red head. Much to their dismay, neither of them made the catch. Donnie’s hand grasped April’s and Y/n’s timing was off. April landed in the mutagen with a sickening splash.

            When the singer landed she nearly slipped into the vat as well, if it wasn’t for Donnie landing at her side, and wrapping a protective arm around her middle. The pair panicked as they looked into the ooze trying to catch sight of April. As they squinted Stockman began a rushing descent towards the chemical. Before he could dive in after the girl, a hockey stick came flying from above, knocking him off course.

            “Eat it, bug!” Casey shouted. 

            The man came flying after his makeshift projectile, taking the mutant out of the sky, while Leonardo climbed up the vat to stand beside Y/n and Donnie. He took a quick moment to check that Y/n was alright before he turned his attention to the goo. 

            “Is she…” Y/n started, crouching down to look closer into the vat, hoping to see their friend.

            Instead of catching a glimpse of April, a sudden bubble of mutagen burst into a wave. The chemical came rushing towards the edge of the canister, causing Leonardo to give Y/n and swiftly move her out of the space zone. Silently they waited as another bubble appeared, this one far closer to the edge. When this one popped however, it didn’t result in a wave. Instead, April appeared clinging to the edge of the vat while coughing up a small amount of mutagen.

            Relief rushed over them as she pulled herself to her feet. “Nice catch Donnie!” she said sarcastically while shaking her hands. 

            “April!” Y/n beamed. Wiggling away from Leonardo she took a step towards her with her arms out before remembering that the red head was covered in radioactive goo, and instantly stepped back. “I would hug you but uh…”

            “Yeah, hugs after showers.” April smiled with an understanding hum.

            “You're immune to mutagen.” Donatello cut in as he realized the magnitude to the citation before them. “That’s why your DNA worked to create the retro-mutagen. Amazing!” 

            “I’ll devour you all!” The fly mutant hissed down at them, cutting through any further conversation. “I’ll drink you like blobs of delicious filth.”

            “Well on that disgusting note.” Y/n makes a grossed-out face as she grabs a dagger and throws it at him, successfully hitting his thigh. The fly groaned in pain, but pulled the dagger out and threw it to the floor. 

            “Foolish girl!” 

            The fly instantly dove in their directions, arms reaching for Y/n. Instantly, Leonardo grabbed her, jumping off the edge of the canister. Together they handed hard on the ground just in time to see stockman change direction and knock Donnie to the ground. Wasting no time, April jumped from the vat and grabbed Stockman by a wing.

            Casey ran up from the back to grab a second wing, together they worked to hold the fly back as his claw gripped Donnie’s wrist in an attempt to get the retro-mutagen. Leonardo ducked under the fly’s arm and pressed his back to his chest trying to pry him off of his brother as Y/n went for stomach’s wrist. Using her nails she tried to tear the fly’s claw open so Donnie could be free, but it wasn’t working. Nothing was. In fact, all the team managed to do is hold stockman still, something they managed to keep true even as their leader’s phone rang at his hip.

            Lifting it to his ear, Leo let out a strained hello, and through the reviewer they could all hear Raphael shouting something. “No problem! We’re on our way,” Leonardo replied into his phone as they continued to struggle against Stockman.

            “Get your claws off of me!” Donnie screamed.

            Just as Stockman was about to get a grip on the vial, a wall to the left of them suddenly exploded. The group froze, their attention taken as multiple figures emerged from the dust. One of which was eerily familiar, especially to Y/n. It was the wolf mutant front the day she was taken to the lair. 

            The wolf roared and glowered at them all. “I heard you say Retro-mutagen. I can become human again?”

            The turtle team exchanged uneasy glances as Leonardo said a final message into his phone. “On second thought, we might be a little late.” 

            “Bring me that vial.” the wolf hisses as everyone separates. 

            With a glare, Leo grabbed one of his smoke bombs, throwing it to the ground to make a diversion. “Time to go!”

            As the smoke went up around him, two of the Footbots ran for the leader, only to end up destroyed by the time the smoke cleared. That was when the wolf went for his attack. Meanwhile, Stockman had managed to pin Donatello to the ground. The two wrestled for the vial to retro-mutagen until April cut in turning the tide in the turtle’s favor. 

`           On the other side of the room, Casey and Y/n were separated, both fighting separate soldiers. Accustomed to fighting their type, Casey was quick to knock out his opponent. Y/n on the other hand went back and forth, blocking the robot’s blade in the same way she would while sparing Leo. Eventually, she found an opening and threw one of her daggers into its chest. 

            The impact short circuited the bot for a moment, giving her the opportunity to jump it. Using a second knife she stabbed at its core, being used to cut as many wires as she could in the process. Finally, the fight stopped in a burst of sparks.

            “Ha! I did it!” Y/n cheered as the bot crumbled to the ground. A glance over her shoulder, let her know that the battle was far from over. So, thinking fast, she put one foot of the robot's neck and used the other to detach its head. She then turned towards Casey and prepared to punt the head towards him “Casey! Heads up.”

            The head landed near Casey’s feet making him smile. “Thanks Pidge!” 

            Turns out, their timing couldn’t have been better, for a soon as Casey lined up his shot, April shouted. Stockman was just moments away from using the retro-mutagen on himself. The only thing that stopped him was the Footbot head colliding with him, causing the mutant to drop the chemical. The vial rolled on the ground towards Leonardo, who swiftly picked it up as he turned toward the rest of his team.

            “We found April’s dad! Let's get out of here!” Leonardo instructed, leading the group to the door.

            From behind them they heard the sickening buzz of the fly mutant as he chanted, “No escape!”

            Rushing out of the lab they hurried to wear Raph and Mikey were supposed to have parked the turtle’s van that they named the Shell Raiser. Luckily, the warm coated turtles followed that part of the plan to a T and the vehicle was waiting for them in the alley way, unlocked with the keys in the driver's seat. Rushing forward, everyone filed in. Donnie and Leo were quick to take their seats as the humans stood in the middle, holding onto the walls of the van desperately. Before Y/n could even pull the door shut, Leonardo had started the car, and slammed on the gas, launching them forward and onto the main road. 

            “It’s gaining on us.” Casey warned as he caught sight of the fly out of the van’s review.

            “Firing garbage cannon.” Donnie warned before firing the first line of defense. 

            “Take a right!” April suddenly screamed over any other conversation. 

            That was the only warning they received before Leonardo aggressively turned the wheel. The force of the corner made it feel as if the van itself was about to flip, as Casey and Y/n were thrown against the far wall. The man attempted to steady his friend but before he could, April shouted out another instruction.

            “Now a left, Dad’s this way!”

            Casey caught himself on the back of Leo’s chair this time, scrambling to his feet as he asked, “How do you know?”

            “I just do,” April replied. “I told you I get certain feelings about things. Faster Leo! Another right!”

            Once again, they were thrown, and Y/n’s head banged against the side of the van. Wincing, she rubbed the new sore spot and turned towards the driver. “Jesus Francoeur, who taught you to drive?” 

            “Trial and error mainly,” Donnie replied, causing Y/n to shriek.

            “What!” 

            “Take a left here.” April shouted over her and suddenly they were all tossed against another wall. This was quickly getting old. 

            Luckily for everyone, there was only one more turn before the red head was shouting for Leo to stop. This of course, just threw them all forward with enough force that even Donnie went flying from his chair. Sheepishly Leonardo apologized when he looked over his shoulder to see the pile on the floor. Y/n stuck at the bottom of the pile on her stomach while Casey laid on his side, protecting her head from Donatello who was sprawled diagonally on top of the pair.

            He only earned himself three glares as they scrambled to get off of the ground and open the door before April broke the handle in her attempts to exit. As soon as the door slid open enough for her to slip through the red head was gone, leaving the rest of her team to stumble out of the van after her. From where they stood they could see her already halfway up the fire escape and moved quickly to follow her. By the time they pulled themselves up onto the roof April was already crouched in front of her father, calming him down.

            “Stay calm, calm.” April chanted, and soon, the bat mutant nuzzled into her chest recognizing the girl as his daughter.

            “Sorry, this took so long Mr. O’Neil.” Donatello spoke after allowing the pair to have a short moment. “Just a quick spray on your skin and you’ll be good as new.” 

            As soon as the turtle pulled the retro-mutagen from his bag a mass zoom passed, taking the vial with him. It didn’t take a genius to realize that it was the fly mutant who stole the vial once again, but if anyone had any doubt, he eradicated it with his maniacal laughter.

            “Seriously! Again?” Donnie complained, but things only managed to get worse.

            “Flying Footbots, dude this is getting out of control.” Mikey panicked as they looked towards the sky.

            Soaring around them with wings similar to those of fly squirrels were about half a dozen foot bots. They scanned the group before flying off in the same direction the stockman flew. Their mission was clear. Get the retro-mutagen. That didn’t make the new upgrade to the box any less irritating. Y/n was tempted to use a kunai to shoot one of them out of the sky but held back. 

            “They are like fucking cockroaches; you think you stomp them all out and then they sprout wings.” the singer groaned out of frustration. 

            Raphael winced at her words. “An unfortunately accurate comparison.” 

            “Let's move turtles!” Leonardo shouted over them, prompting the brothers to swiftly move out. 

            The turtle in blue was the first off the roof, jumping towards one of the flying bots. Using his katana, Leo managed to effectively turn the bot into a hovercraft of sorts. Skillfully he flew it in the direction of the masses as his brothers one by one followed. Mikey was close behind, using his bug costume to take to the air with Raphael and his wings close behind. 

Only Donatello lingered to give final instructions to the humans before he too rushed off the side of the building. “April you and the others stay put and keep an eye on your dad!”

            The humans stood alone in silence for a few moments, exchanging glances as if deciding what to do next. That was when April had a change in posture as she eyed her dad with a smile. That smile made both of her friends concerned, but it was Casey who spoke up. 

“You getting one of those feelings again.”

            “No, just a bad idea.” the red head replied before rounding her father and climbing onto his back. She then smiled at her friends and offered a hand. “Hop on guys.” 

            “You can’t be serious.” Casey gapped as he gripped her hand and was soon pulled onto the bat.

            “Well, it can’t be as bad as Francoeur’s driving.” Y/n resigned as she too climbed on, taking her place between Casey and April.

            Y/n was quick to wrap her arms around April’s waist for support, but Casey seemed less concerned. That was until they actually took to the air with a dramatic leap off the side of the roof. As the singer bit back a scream, the man behind her desperately grabbed for her hips. His grip was bruising when he finally found purchase, and didn’t let up, not even when their flight evened out into a much gentler soar.

            The feeling of flight was exhilarating, Y/n wished she had more time to simply enjoy it. Alas, there was a mission to attend to. With their initial shock faded, the humans began to scan the skies for Stockman Fly. After a few short blocks, they caught sight of him, and quickly made chase. Coming front he left, April redirected her dad to ram into the mutant. 

            “Ha yes!” Y/n cheered as they threw the fly off balance. 

            “Get him dad,” April encouraged. “Knock him out of the sky!”

            The only one who didn’t match their excitement was Casey who was still gripping Y/n’s hip to stay steady, eyes scanning the ground below. “So, we’re like riding your giant mutant dad? This is so weird.”

            The singer couldn’t help but laugh, throwing her head back just enough to look at the man. “You’ve been with the crowd for how long? Weird seems to be the standard.”

            Suddenly Mr. O’Neil lurched forward as he began to blindly follow the fly mutant. Despair not to fall the humans to cling to each other. Y/n's arms were securely around April's waist, as Casey held Y/n’s hips. Or at least, he was holding her hips. Without warning, the boy’s girl shifted to her shoulders. Curious as to what he could be doing, the singer looked behind her only to see Casey shifting his weight while trying to balance on his feet. When he felt confident, the man stood straight on the bat’s back, and grabbed one of his weapons.

            With a burst of laughter, Casey drew back with his hockey stick. “Swallow this your ugly goop-drooling-” 

            Before he could finish his taunting Mr. O’Neil took another hard turn, jerking his body to the side. The action took them all but surprise, most of all Casey who was thrown from his position, resulting in a free fall towards the ground.

            “Casey!” April screamed for him.

            With another jerk, Mr. O’Neil dove for Casey, catching him by the arm causing the girls to sigh in relief. “It’s okay, your dad caught him!” Y/n announced. 

            Comforted with the knowledge of their friend’s safely, the girls focused on the task at hand, leading the bat mutant back into the duck and weaving a pattern of chase. As they flew, Stockman turned with a sneer. The fly then reared back before spitting acid in the direction of the girls. They both yelped, but April managed to draw her tessen to block the spit before it could get to them. 

            Their faces twist with disgust, but the feeling was quickly ignored. There was no time. April continued to navigate, and Y/n glanced down below to check on Casey. The boy seemed somehow more at ease in his current position. He had found the best place to wiggle so that he was holding onto Mr. O’Neil as much as the mutant was gripping him. Felling Y/n’s eyes, the man glanced up, shooting her a thumbs up, that she accepted with a nod.

            When she looked back up, her eyes widened. They were going straight for a billboard. Luckily, April caught this as well, and pulled back. Her dad hovered in the hair for a few moments as Stockman slammed against the ad with enough force that he threw the vial of Retro-mutagen. They all began to scan the surrounding area, but April finally caught a glimpse of the vial teetering on the edge of a rooftop.

            “There!” She announced, causing everyone to rush for the chemical.

            Everyone rushed towards the canister, which unfortunately resulted in near misses and collisions rather than anyone actually catching the vial. When the human team missed their opportunity, April was quick to turn them around for a second chase. Unfortunately, when they were still a yard away, the vial shattered against a streetlamp leaving the retro-mutant to slowly drip to the ground

            “Hurry! If he gets under it, it should still have an effect, the retro-mutagen is extremely potent. Get a few positive cells made and it’ll spread like wildfire!” Y/n instructed as she urged April forward.

            Leaning forward to gain speed, April guided her dad under the final drops to retro-mutagen, managing to catch them on his head at the last minute. A relieved gasp echoed from both the girls, only to turn to one of momentary panic as they looked back ahead to see Raph and Mikey flying towards them with a tarp. In an instant they were shrouded in darkness and painfully tumbling to the ground. 

            They couldn't see, but they could hear Mr. O’Neil’s pain filled cries and could feel his thrashing. Desperately, all three humans fought with the tarp, trying to find an edge for their escape. One by one they managed to wiggle themselves free and rush towards the turtles who had gathered to watch the results. The group watched in silence as the man continued to thrash around until finally a human head emerged for a tear in the tarp.

            “Alright!”

            “Woo!

            “Kirby's back!”

            The turtles all cheered as April rushed forward all but tackling her father in a hug.

            “Dad! I can’t believe it!” She cheered. “I’ve missed you so much!”

            “April? What happened? Where am i?” The man asked desperately. “And why am i nude?”

            “Dude then you hear what happened you're going to laugh so hard.” Mikey said with a smile and April moved away from her father so that he could stand. 

            Once he was on his feet the girl momentarily left his side to hug Donatello. “You did it Donnie! You're the best of the best of the best!” April beamed, lifting onto her toes to press a kiss to the turtle’s cheek. 

            Y/n smiled at the scene before glancing over her shoulder, curious to see Leonardo’s thoughts on tonight's events. When he looked however, the turtle had already walked a few paces away and was scanning the sky. Curious she approached, placing a hand on his shoulder to alert him of her presence. The turtle looked at her for a moment before scanning the sky again for a few more seconds.

            “No sign of stockman fly.” the leader hummed. “Add him to the list of stray mutated bad guy freaks running around New York.”

            “That’s a comforting idea.” Y/n mumbled as she and Leo shared an uneasy glance. 

            “Stockman fly is turflytle’s greatest enemy, Buzz buzz.” Mikey started before derailing into what sounded a bit like a superhero monologue. 

            Y/n didn’t get to listen however, since as soon as he began, Leonardo grabbed her wrist, and led her away while shaking his head. The girl could hear him mutter something about his little brother’s antics, but it did nothing more than make her laugh as she wiggled her wrist free. They weren’t separated for long, for a moment after she got her wrist free, she reached back down and carefully sorted their fingers so she could interlace her five with his three. 

            The turtle smiled down at their conjoined hands and continued to lead her donut the street, no doubt back to where the Shell razer was left a few blocks over.

As they wander Y/n squeezed Leonardo’s hand with a smile. “So…how did I do on my first mission, Sensei Leonardo?” 

            “Not bad, my young pupil.” He replies, his tone a mocking imitation of his father. “Though we must work on your obedience.”

            Y/n snorted at the comment, before looking up at his with her arms crossed. “Good luck with that.” 

            “Ah, so you're gonna be a brat then.” Leonardo teased as he leaned down enough for them to be eye to eye.

            “Whatcha gonna do? Spank me.” Y/n taunted before turning to talk away.

            “Maybe.” the turtle shrugged while falling in step with her, causing the girl to tense in surprise.

            “Wait what?”

            Without wanting to, a hard slap landed against her ass, making Y/n jump and look up at the turtle in shock, who was simply walking past her as if nothing had happened.  “Let's go home. It’s late.” 

Chapter Text

Y/n thought she was handling everything very well, all things considered. Sure she flipped out after seeing a kranng for the first time but it was fine, she took a shower, got some answers and moved on. Okay!

Then there was what happened a little over a month later. Finally making a proper chemical concoction to reverse the effects of mutagen, awesome! Awesome enough to earn her a place on her first mission… to de-mutate her new friend's dad who was turned into a freaky as hell giant bat thing. Okay.

Only that didn’t really work out because ANOTHER mutant appeared out of nowhere, this one an acid spitting flyman who wants to mix his DNA with her friends DNA. He even went as far as to drop your friend into a vat of mutagen, but she was immuned so it was all, okay. 

About a month an a half after that, Raphael and Casey came scrambling into the layer to explain that they found a bunch of broken robots that the krang used (oh right, they use robots… okay) completely demolished prompting her to go on her second real mission after weeks of nothing more than boring patrols. Leonardo made the groups and assigned Y/n and himself to patrol the sewers and she was happy because like okay.

She was more than happy to have alone time with the turtle. After his bold little slap at the end of day when they saved Mr. O’niel, the turtle had certainly become bold during their alone time. Leonardo would place his hand on her hips and butt and just leave it there. The pair started to flirt, like actually flirt, intentionally. At night, in their shared bread, they no longer bothered to give the other room. Her favorite thing was probably the light kisses that Leo left on her forehead at least three times a day. Even around his family he seemed to be constantly touching the girl, and to her this was 100% okay! 

So off they went, to investigate the strange takedown of kraang droids. Before long they found their way blocked by piles of robot parts, ohkay, so they went down a side corridor to find a collection of only droid heads, OHKAY. Before long they realized that the person destroying them was another mutant turtle, only this one wasn’t exactly nice. No, this was Raphael's old pet who wouldn’t hesitate to kill them if given the chance, Okay. 

Turns out, murder turtle Slash was not working alone. Nope he was with a newt mutant hilariously named the Newtralizer. Who was far more likely to kill anyone at a minute's notice. Terrifying, but okay. So off they went searching for the kranng and the mutants. And she was almost instantly instructed to stay back with the other human in the mission, Casey, and she was happy to say ‘okay’. It all came to a head when the building they infiltrated suddenly blew up. It had shaken Y/n up something fierce but she insisted that she was still okay.

The rest of the night, Y/n was fighting for her life against the kranng, a giant walking weapon of theories and the mutants. Only during the fight she overheard one of the kraang mention that the newt mutant wasn’t a mutant, but an alien. And…well sure, why not, OKAY!

So a rough battle and one burn on her arm from the exploding of the Kranng weapon later, y/n was happy to be going back to the lair with the boys. When they arrived back they treated her arm and then everyone took a few minutes to relax. It was time to just be okay.

Right?

No way! 

Y/n’s mind was racing. She had reached her limit of WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS HAPPENING moments. Too many questions, too many loose ends. She was NOT okay. If Leonardo couldn’t tell that from her constant twisting against his side as they tried to watch a movie together in the living room, he found out the instant she was on her feet. Silently he and his brothers watched as their female roommate began pacing across the center of the living room pulling at her hair. 

If that wasn’t enough, her ranting soon began. It was like her usual overthinking rambles, but it was filled to brim with anxiety. Every emotion she hid behind the word Okay , was spilling over. The fear, the confusion, the exhilaration. It was obvious that she was overwhelmed and they would need to help her find a healthy way to cope with it all. Before any of them could speak however, their father entered the room. He took only a look at the ranting pacing woman before looking back at the boys.

“Leonardo…” He said simply. “I am hoping you already have some kind of solution for this?”

The turtle in blue nodded to his father before looking back at the girl, admittedly impressed that she had yet to run out of air. “We’ll start meditation on Saturday.”   

“Perhaps tomorrow insead?” His father suggested.

“I’m hoping she passeses out after this and sleeps most of the day away.” Leo admitted honestly. “If she’s this hyped up when I try to get her to clear her mind, we're going to get nowhere.”

   This earned him another nod from his father. The group then watched silently until Y/n finally took a deep breath and looked back at them. Silently they waited for a reaction from her, and eventually Mikey sent her an uncertain wave. The girls’ eyes locked on the movement before a smile peaked her lips. Shyly she waved back before apologizing for interrupting the movie. The girl henmove back to the couch and settled herself in against Leonardo’s side. 

“You okay?” Donnie finally asked.

Y/n sent a smile his way and nodded. “Yeah, I just had to let that all out.” 

Leonardo wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and squeezed Y/n close to his side. “We’re all here for you Finch, if you ever want to talk. We know it’s a lot.” 

Various hums of agreement sounded, and Y/n responded with her thanks. The family then dropped the topic in favor of their movie and it wasn’t brought up again until two days later, on saturday, 

Leonardo approached the topic gentilly. He knew that Y/n would be opposed to sitting silently doing nothing for any extended period of time. She hated not doing anything, but this would be good for her. So, the turtle treated the morning like any other day, and when Y/n entered the dojo after the boys finished their training he dropped the bomb on her. 

As expected, the girl was quick to protest, but eventually he got her to pout while sitting with her legs crossed across from him. They had been at it for nearly forty-five minutes now. Y/n would get into poison and shut her eyes. Leo would give it a second before doing the same and about two minutes later he would hear her move or feel her staring, causing him to open his eyes to look at her.

“That’s it! This is impossible!” Y/n announced irritatedly as she threw herself backwards. “My mind just won’t shut up.”

The girl could hear Leonardo’s chuckle from above her, prompting her to lift onto her elbows and shoot the turtle a glare. He hadn’t moved, only cracked one eye open to watch the scene she was creating. In his opinion, she was being dramatic. Then again, his little brothers also struggled with meditation, especially Donatello who cited a similar crutch. An overactive mind. 

For the turtle in purple, however, there was one trick that always seems to help. White noise. When they were little Master Splinter used to pull out a sound machine to run whenever he wanted Donnie to meditate, and it seems to do the trick. Too bad the little machine broke a few years back when Raph decided it was the perfect size to chuck at Mikey’s head during an argument. 

Regardless, the white noise it provided might be what Y/n needed to successfully clear her mind. Leonardo thought for a while, until a replacement white noise came to mind. This option in particular was something he knew already helped her relax, which was a nice bonus. So sitting a bit straighter the turtle opened his eyes and nudged Y/n’s foot with his own.

“Okay Finch, I have an idea that might help.” 

“Is it knocking me out? Because that's the only way I know how to make my mind stop.” The girl grumbled as she pulled herself back into the sitting position.

“Not quite,” The turtle replied with a smile before reaching out to her. “Come here.”

Y/n hesitated for a moment, but obeyed, lifting to her feet to take the single step forward it took to be in front of the turtle. She placed her hand in his and smiled as his free hand gently caressed her calf. Leonardo was much bolder now, every move, every touch was made with confidence. Even so, when he tugged on Y/n’s hand with enough force for her to tumble forward, the girl gasped. Throwing her free hand she grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. 

Their faces were a meer inch apart until the turtle leaned forward just enough to bump their foreheads together. “Now, sit.” he instructed as his hand left her calf in favor of patting his thigh. 

“On your lap?” Y/n’s questioned as her eyes glanced down to follow his movement.

“Yep.” 

“Why…” She questioned while leaning back so she could clearly see his face just in case he was in some way messing with her.

“Just do it,” The turtle responded with a roll of his eyes.  “It's not like I'm going to bite you.”

“Actually turtles are known to bite,” Y/n snarked, but she still turned around and settled herself on his lap with her legs bent over his infront of her. “Alright, now how is this going to help?”

“Get comfortable, and try to meditate again.” Leonardo instructed, hands quickly finding purchase on her hips. “Focus on me. The sound of my voice, my plastron against your back, your legs over mine. Focus on the constant that is our physical contact.” 

With a sigh, Y/n closed her eyes and tried her hardest to obey. Leos’ chest was hard against her back. His breath was steady and lightly brushing over the top of her head. His hands were resting on the fleshy part of her hips, she could feel his thumbs gently caressing the seam over her leggings. He was keeping his movements in perfect sync with his breathing. 

Y/n smiled when she realized the tempo he set and began to count it out. He was breathing in four four. She leaned back further against him trying to see if his heart was beating in tempo was well. When her head pressed against his plastron however, she lost her count. Her ponytail was kinda digging into her head. With that thought she wiggled, trying to adjust her head so that the hair tie was no longer pinned. All focus was lost. Irritatedly she groaned, throwing her hair back so it draped over Leo's shoulder before opening her eyes again.

“My mind is still racing.” The girl whispered lips pulling into a pout that she was silently hoping would get the turtle to give up on his whole get Y/n to Meditate agenda. 

“That’s ok.” He chuckled as he took a moment to readjust how she was resting on his lap. “Now, just keep your mind on me, but this time I want you to focus on the vibrations.”

“Vibrations? What vibra…” Y/n was cut off by a familiar deep rumbling coming from Leonardo’s chest. This time, while pressed against him, she could feel his chur vibrating up from his chest. “...oh.”

The chur was momentarily interrupted by another chuckle as Leo squeezed Y/n’s hips. “Now, try to meditate again. You’ve got this Finch.” 

Taking a breath, the girl nodded in response before finally letting her eyes fall close once again. To keep thoughts from breaking though she pressed harder against Leonardo’s chest and began to think of the rolling hum this chur caused. It sounded like the feeling of being numb. She focused on that feeling while letting her muscles relax then suddenly Y/n felt as if she was in a dream. 

Leo’s churs were a distant echo as her mind created a world for her to wander in. It was fluffy, like a room made of clouds, all silver and pale blue with the smallest hints of lavender. Taking a breath, Y/n was greeted with a familiar smell. Rose water.

There was only one thing, or person rather, that Y/n associated with the smell of rose water. Almost desperately Y/n began looking around her cloud like room until something caught her eye. A pillar in the distance coated in shadow. She knew she should have hesitated, but even at a distance this shadow seemed to beckon her. Another breath, and another moment of listening to the distance churs of Leonardo, Y/n felt ready to take a step. 

Slowly but surely, Y/n moved towards the shadow. As she approached, it began to change. First to a silhouette, and then it became a person. The girl tilted her head to the side and squinted. They were blurry, but if she could focus then just maybe… The person started to fade in and out of focus before settling, and Y/n was met with a smiling face that she hadn’t seen in years. 

“Mom?” The girl whispered.

“Took you long enough dear,” the woman smiled. “Though I’m not surprised, you always had your fathers rabid mind.” 

“Mom!” Y/n shouted this time, confusion placed with overflowing joy as she swiftly closed the space between her and her mother. When they fell into an embrace, Y/n was pleasantly surprised to find that she could feel a ghost of the woman’s touch against her skin. “I don’t understand.” She admitted.

Her mother chuckled while giving her a squeeze. “The spiritual plain is far closer than you think. You just needed a little push to get here. It is where I've been, waiting for you to arrive.” 

At first, Y/n couldn’t respond. She was too amazed. The girl tried to focus on her mother’s touch, to make it into something more tangible, but in the end it didn’t matter. This was her. Her mother, just as Y/n remembered her. There was a comfort that draped over her the longer they stayed together, and there was only one thing that Y/n could ever want to make this moment perfect.

“Dad?” Y/n asked, face still nuzzled against the woman’s shoulder. “Is he somewhere here as well?”

“No, I'm afraid not.” She cooed to her daughter. “I assumed he was still with you. Unlike you he has not found a way to calm his mind enough for a visit yet.”

“Wait no, Dad isn’t with me. He died a few years ago.” Y/n said, eyes widened as she pushed back enough to look at her mother’s face before millions of questions surged to the forefront of her mind. “If he’s not here then where is he? Is he in hell? Is this like heaven? I thought you said this was a spiral plain. How would I have even managed to meditate to heaven when a few minutes ago I couldn't meditate at all! That seems like a jump. Anyway, dad. If he’s not with you and he’s not with me then where the hell is he? The doctors said he died. I mean I didn't get to see him before he had to transport his body for donation to TCRI but the doctors wouldn’t have lied to me right? I mean not only is that morally wrong but what the hell would they have gained from that?! I don’t understand where he could be? Or his spirit, or soul or whatever. What are you anyway? Is this all in my head? I don’t understand what it-”

“Darling!” Y/n’s mother suddenly cut in. “I don’t have the answers for you, but I know it is most likely best not to speculate. All answers come in time.”

“But-” She couldn’t form a thought, her mind was raising, and quickly Y/n became aware of the fact that her cloud space was dimming around her. 

“One more thing my dear before you let those thoughts of yours cut in,” Her mom chuckled as she curled Y/n’s ponytail around her fingers, an action she used to perform when Y/n was little to calm her down. “Do you hear that?”

Staying silent, the singer listened to the fading world around them and managed to catch the continuous hum in the background once again. “Francour’s chur?”

Her mother nodded. “He’s a good man… or uh, turtle, I suppose.” the woman said with a smile before leaning now and pressing a chase kiss against Y/n’s hair line. “He’ll take good care of you dear.”

With that, her mother began to fade along with the world around her. Y/n’s cloud-like palace was replaced with a black void filled only with the growing sounds of Leonardo's churs. Desperately, the girl tried to cling to her world to no avail, and eventually gave up. Letting her eyes flutter open, the singer blinked the last fragments of her haze away and slumped back against Leo’s chest.  

She tried to regain her bearings as her mind continued to recite questions in circles. Where was dad? Why was mom there? What was there? Where was there? How did mom know about Leo? Can she really look down on my life? Was that all in my head? Her questions suddenly came to a halt as she thought about her mother’s last words. He’ll take good care of you. Y/n smiled at that.

Happily, she let her mind settle on those words. Herhead rolled back, and the girl stared at the turtle. He looked so peaceful. His eyes were shut, his breathing steady. Leo truly looked like a statue. A handsome terrapin statute. Y/n couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away, not even when he suddenly smiled.

“I can feel you staring at me, Finch.” he said then opened his eyes to look at her. “You managed to stay focused for a while there though. Ready to stop?” 

“I guess so, but…” Y/n started only to look away. Her mind still wasn’t making full thoughts, her mouth was just running. 

“But?” Leo prompted.

The girl sighed, maybe it would be for the best if hse just worked on instinct instead of starting her brain up once more. It would keep the cycle of questions away a bit longer. “I don’t want to move just yet.” She admitted.

The turtle chuckled, and squeezed her hips. “Then don’t.” 

“You really don’t mind me in your lap?” 

“No. I like…I like knowing where you are.” Leonardo admitted as he moved his grip hug Y/n from behind. His head buried in her shoulder while his voice reduced itself to a whisper. “Not that you're not capable of taking care of yourself, but knowing that you are here safe with me. Not in your old apartment or at that club, but here. It’s comforting.”

 “Did you miss me? After you left, I mean.” Y/n asked, her voice also becoming soft..

The turtle smiled while squeezing her once more. “Yeah. I missed you alot.”

 “I missed you too, Francour, more than I even expected to.” She confessed while returning the embrace by squeezing one of his arms. “I thought about you every day, I wanted to sit with you, talk with you, train with you. Anything. And… and everything…”

 “Everything?” 

“Yeah.” Y/n giggled, before a sudden boldness filled her chest. When she thought back to the night of him leaving one particular moment came to mind. One she thought about more times then she could count. Now, in the vulnerable moment of honesty, was probably the best time to bring it up. So glancing back up toward Leonardo she smiled. “Besides, you kinda left me hanging when you left.” 

“What do you mean?” He asked, looking down so their eyes could meet.

“Remember, the day you left my apartment. Before those footbots showed up. I kinda thought you were going to…” Her confidence was fading with her words, and Y/n tried to look away. 

“Going to what?” He moves his hand to lift her chin, keeping her from looking away from him. 

With their eye contact locked, Y/n took a breath. “I thought you were going to kiss me.” 

To ehr surprise, a shy smile appeared on Leonado’s lips. “And what if I was?” 

Y/n glanced between his eyes and his lips before inching closer to him. “I think I want you too.” 

With her words, Leonardo found the last burst of confidence he needed to lean down and place his lips against Y/n’s. He was pleased to find that rather than pulling away, Y/n twisted her body to deepen the kiss. They stayed that way for a few fleeting moments before the girl pulled away with a smile.

Silently she pushed against Leo’s chest, making just enough space between their bodies for her to move. Twisting around, the girl straddles his hips while sliding her hands up his plastron and past his shoulder. Leonardo followed her lead, letting his hands squeeze Y/n’s hips before one trailed up her back to settle between her shoulder blades. 

Neither needed prompting to lean back in for another kiss. It just felt right. Like it was something they were meant to do. Something they should have been doing long before now. Something that they should keep doing forever. Spurred by emotion, Y/n tangled Leo’s mask tails between her fingers before pulling him closer. Meanwhile, Leo’s hand pressed firm against her back, thumb sliding subtly under the back of her sports bra. 

She was so warm, so soft. He never wanted to let her go. And he didn’t plan to. 

That was until they heard something that made them jump out of their skin. “What is going on here?” 

Master Splinter.

Shit.

Insgently the pair were scrambling to their feet. With a second of eye contact they knew the plan. Run. Silently they were rushing towards the door. Hoping to escape. Y/n pulled open the door and crossed the threshold but before the turtle could follow, they heard his father sternly call his name.

“Shit,” the pair whispered as they exchanged wide eyed glances. 

“Yes, sensei?” Leonardo called in response, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

“Stay, I would like to speak with you.” The rat commanded before looking past the turtle towards Y/n. “Y/n, go change. Clearly, you have finished with your training for the day.”

Glumping, the girl nodded. “Hai sensei.” she then looked back at Leo and whispered. “Goodluck.” 

She was going to obey Master Splinter, she really was. Y/n fully intended on going straight to the showers, but then she heard Leo’s name being sternly called once more. There was enough power behind it that the girl jumped. Not just her, but Rapheal as well, who looked up from his place on the couch when he heard his older brother get scolded. The red clad turtle didn’t hesitate to rise and walk to Y/n’s side.

“What the hell happened to get him that tone?” He asked only to be shushed by Y/n as the girl pressed her ear against the door.

Shrugging Rapheal soon did the same, and the pair silently tried to make out what they could move the conversation. To their dismay, it was mostly muffled. It was evident that Master Splinter has a lot to say, but Leo did peak in every once and a while with short clipped responses. Eventually they heard shuffling and the pair took a few quick steps away from the door. Itn opened just a crack before everyone froze at the rat’s voice.

“Leonardo.” He said, his voice gentler this time. “However, if you decide to move forward it is important to remember that just as it can be wonderful, love can be dangerous. It will split your focus. As a ninja you are forced into many positions where the great or good is in your hands. As a leader you are the one who must make the final call. Having someone you love adds another factor. Be prepared for that.” 

Y/n could feel her heart shutter. She was causing problems without trying. She could make it so that Leonaord got hurt. Love was dangerous if she really thought about it. Love makes you hurt. Is that what Master Splinter was warning his son about? What was LEo going to say in response. Would he say anything?

They never got to know, Y/n was so lost in thought that she didn't even realize the leader had stepped out of the dojo.  He glanced silently at his little brother and the clearly overthinking girl outside of the door before sighing. Reaching out he placed a hand on her head and instantly Y/n was back to reality. Her head snapped up to meet with Leo's ocean blue eyes.

“I guess meditation isn’t the key huh,” He said, tone clearly teasing, though a blush still appeared on Y/n’s cheeks. “I might take some elements though for my next attempts to get you to relax.” 

And with that, Leonardo walked away towards Donatello’s lab. No, Y/n thought, he shouldn't be worrying about helping me relax, he should be worrying about his family and the city. Her gut twisted. She was already drawing his focus away from his duty. This wasn’t ok. She needed to get ahead of this, she needed to stop him from… feeling things towards her. Her heart protested that idea. Or at the very least, give her own warning, she suggested to herself, this one seemed to earn a calmer response.  

Nodding to herself, she finally turned to go clean up as master splinter instructed.

“Hey Mockingbird.” Raphael suddenly called after her, making the girl freeze. He had never used a nickname for her before, but it certainly served its purpose. The name got her to turn around a look at him. “Don’t do anything rash. I don’t know exactly what’s going on but based upon how swollen your lips are and what we overheard I have a guess. Just think about what you want to do next.”

Y/n couldn’t help but snort as hse looked at him. “Really? You're telling someone not to act rashly.”

“Do as I say, not as I do.” the turtle shrugged.

Y/n managed to smile at that and nod before walking down the hall towards the bathroom. She made quick work of showering attempting to beat her thoughts to no avail. Luckily, there was enough that had happened in the last hour that hse was able to avoid thinking about the lingering pressure her mind conjured up for her lips. Instead she chose to think about her mother. 

Both Leonarod and Splinter have mentioned that meditation, on occasion, could help them reach the spiral plain, but she figured you would have to be really good at meditation to do that. She kind of just stumbled in. A fleeting thought presented the idea that the mother somehow pulled her there so that they could reunite, even if it was just for a few fleeting moments. 

That didn’t explain why her father wasn't there. Or why her mother seemed convinced that her father should still be with her. 

It didn't make sense, the singer grumbled as she pulled on a dark blue hoodie and leggings. If dad was alive he’d be with me, she thought, and the hospital said he died. Why would they lie? Of course, there was always the third, more confusing, option. Y/n’s father could be in some third unknown location. The idea made Y/n shiver, but at this point she wouldn’t even be shocked. 

Everything was a lot. Scratch that. Everything was too much. 

The girl groaned again, flopping back onto the bed with her hands pressed over her eyes. The guys were great. A wonderful family to her, taking her in like a stray cat off the street., but there was still something missing. Y/n knew what it was. She felt like she no longer had any friends. No one to talk to about what’s going on in her head, no one to go out with, no one to text all hours of the day about a stupid meme or overheard conversation. She loved the guys, but they were more like brothers than friends, even Donnie who was slowly making himself comfortable in the coveted position of her best friend. There were just things he wouldn’t understand because he grew up as a part of this crazy world.

Y/n debated calling April, begging her to come down to help her talk things out, but she was busy. April was slammined with college classes most days, and when she did some down everyone wanted her attention. It would be selfish to call her away. Casey had a similar issue. He had finally landed a spot on a semi-pro hockey team. They practiced pretty much every day, and when they weren’t at practice he was working to make himself the best player he could be.

Sighing, y/n rolled to her side. She somehow felt both showered with love and attention, and painfully lonely. Maybe there was just too much going on. Too much she was keeping in. Before moving down to the lair, Y/n’s go to stress relief was to sing out her emotions on stage at work, but that wasn't an option anymore. She also felt bad singing too often in the lair when people were always so busy. 

Still she needed to do something. That's why Leonarod was forcing her to meditate right? To help her relax? Well that did more harm the good. Now she had fifty million questions and emotions flowing though her, so overwhelming that she wanted to run away and cry somewhere where no one would find her. Softly, she started to humm the familiar melody of her mother’s lullaby to herself. That helped a little, but she was still tense. 

She needs to go somewhere and…do something. Sing, cry? She didn't know yet but she needed to go. Driven by her overactive mind, Y/n grabbed her weapons and quickly strapped it to her thigh before sneaking out of the bedroom. As quietly as possible she snuck down the hall until she made it to the turn into the living room. 

She could hear screaming, mikey’s screaming and a few sets of rushed footsteps. Peeking out from around the corner, Y/n saw the three older turtles standing behind the couch looking down into the conversation pit at what she could only assume was their little brother. They were distracted, this was her chance. 

“We see you rolling on the ground, covered in pizza,” Y/n heard Leonarod say as she crept behind the ground.

Donnie soon joined in. “pretty much like any other day.” 

“Wait,” Raphael suddenly said, making Y/n freeze halfway over the turnstyle, ehr head wiping around only for clam to instantly fill her as she realized all eyes were still on the youngest turtle. “Is that the pizza we ordered from Antonio’s?”

Thank god, they are about to argue. Y/n thought to herself for the first time in her life as she finished crossing the turn style and slipping away. Once she was far enough for the echoes not to reach, she broke out into a run. As fast as possible, Y/n navigated the sewers until she reached a far enough away manhole cover to feel comfortable climbing out.

Lifting the cover on her own was a struggle, but she managed it while reminding herself that this was probably going to be easier than attempting to pull it off the ground later. After an embarrassingly long process, she managed to get it to the side and climb out of the sewers before forcing the cover back into place. Y/n smiled to herself. She did it. She was somewhere other than the lair, and she was alone. It was refreshing. 

It was also terrifying. She decided quickly as she scanned the alley she sood in, coating in shadows from the setting sun. Y/n held her breath as she walked out onto the sidewalk. There. Now she was somewhere else, that didn’t make her feel like she wanted to hurl. Now, she was at the point in her plan where she had… no plan. 

Still, she had about half an hour of daylight and some money that she tucked into the pocket of her leggings. The city was her oyster… at least until it got dark enough for the boys to feel comfortable hunting her down. Her heart sank a bit. She was breaking the rules. Leonardo told her she wasn't supposed to leave the lair on her own and yet she did. 

A wicked part of her mind reminded her of the last time she disobeyed the leader of a ninja clan. The memory of their touch on her body, his minions having fun with her, it made the girl trip over her feet.

No. Leonardo would never do that he loves…

She shot the thought away, but held the point close. Leonardo, Master Splinter, the other boys, they were good guys with morals. All that waited for her when she returned was a stern talking too and perhaps some intensive training. Y/n knew she could survive that, and it would ultimately be worth it for a peaceful night stroll to clear her overfilled mind. 

With a finally calming breath, the singer took off, letting her feet take her down familiar streets to nowhere in particular. As she moved the sun got lower and lower in the sky and she thought about what she would have been doing if she hadn’t moved in with the turtles. Seeing as it was Saturday she would probably be at…

The club?

Y/n looked up at the building in front of her curiously. It looked abandoned, but the letters on the marque were unmistakable. Her mindless wandering had led her back to her old place of employment. Tsuki no Hana night club. It was early to see it so lifeless on a saturday night, but she supposed that is simply what happens when you no longer have a performer and your selling point was live music. 

An invisible force pulled her towards the doors. There was a heavy chain on them, keeping them tightly shut. The front right window however, had been shattered. Clearly, someone thought the old night club would be a good place to rob. Not that why would be wrong, Mr. Okoru, ie. The Shredder, spared no expense. The window was covered from the inside with a pice of plastic, but it was poorly secured, blowing slightly in a subtle breeze. As it flowed, Y/n could clutch small peaks of the ballroom, beckoning her in. 

Against her best judgment, she obeyed. Carefully she climbed through the shattered window, landing hard on the tiled ground below.  The ballroom was dark, but still intact, almost perfectly. A single light on the stage was on. Y/n recognized it as the emergency light. The yellow glow comforted her, called her forward, and once again she obeyed.

The closer she got however, Y/n realized something was wrong. Her steps weren’t the only set that echoed throughout the near empty space. There was another set, just as light as hers. Nerves jolted though her, and the girl ducked down behind a nearby table. Working fast, she pulled up her hood, tucking her hair back and trying to hide her face while reaching for one of her daggers. 

She could still hear the footsteps, but they were slowing. Holding her breath, Y/n dared to take a look. Her eyes widened at the sight. A foot soldier was standing on the stage, facing the piano. The soldier was slowly lifting a hand to the keys, but before he could play a note, hsi head whipped to the side.  The bug-like eyes of his mask landed on Y/n’s form, and instantly he was reaching for his sword.

Without hesitation, Y/n rose to her feet and threw her dagger at the soldier before reaching for a second one and charging. As she approached, the girl spared a thought to wonder when her instincts changed to fight rather than flight. It didn't matter, because she was moving, prepared to use her dagger against a robot with a sword. No. Not a robot. This was a man. 

Her dagger that she threw made contact with his arm, and he groaned in pain. Robots don't feel pain. But then again, Robots also don’t get angry, men do. She could feel his glare, even behind the mask, and he regained his baring and charged. It was a struggle to dodge his attack, but this man wasn't nearly as good as leonardo. That didn't prevent him from getting his won hit though. 

The soilder;s sword sliced through the sleeve of Y/n's hoodie and cut the delicate skin of her arm. She bit back the wince, and powered though, getting close enough to hit hte first two required points to block his chi in his left arm. Before she could get to the final three points, the man threw her backwards. Y/n crashed hard against the piano, her hood flying off her head.

She looked up at the soldier with a glare as he approached, prepared to make another attack. Before she could however, the foot soldier froze. He silently stared at her for a few seconds, long enough for Y/n’s attack drive to be replaced with confusion. The feeling only intensified as the soldier took a few hesitant steps forward and reached out. Y/n started at the hand, lifting her dagger to attack, but then, he reached past her and played a few simple yet familiar notes on the piano. 

C, D, F, Bb, Eb. C, D, F, Bb, Eb. C, D, F, Bb, D, C, Bb, C, F.

Gypsy? 

Why the hell was a foot soldier playing Gypsy while staring at her. As if trying to get her to understand something, the soldier played the same pattern again, then again, until Y/n finally gave in with a hesitant voice.

“Wherever we go, whatever we do, we're gonna go through it together?” She sang softly, eyes never leaving her enemy and confusion evident.

 There was a pause before a familiar voice responded. “We may not go far, but sure as a star, wherever we are it’s together.” 

Y/n’s heart stopped for a moment. She knew this soldier. Her hands began to shake as she dropped her blade in favor of reaching out towards the edge of his mask. The soldier didn't stop her. Instead, he leaned forward, and she delicately grabbed the fabric and pulled it from his face. When she saw a familiar pair of eyes staring back at her with nervous glint, Y/n couldn’t stop herself. She jumped forwards, nearly pulling them both down to the floor in a hug.

“David,” she whimpered against his shoulder, emotions suddenly stirring inside of her. “It’s you, and you're ok.” 

To her surprise, as David returned her embrace, tangling one hand in her hair as the other held her securely to his chest, he spoke with a quivering voice. “God, I was so afraid for you Y/n. They’ve had search teams out for you for months.” 

“They what?” She gasped in shock.

“It’s ok.” Her friend hummed to the hair. “Yoru still okay. Those turtles are good for something after all.” 

Choosing to ignore that commentary, Y/n simply allowed herself to enjoy the hug. This is what she needed. A friend. Comfort. Something that felt like the home she had so hastily left behind. She didn’t want to let go, so when the time came, Y/n kept her grip on his arms and pulled David down to the floor so they could sit together next to the piano.

“David… you're a soldier of the foot clan.” Y/n sighed as she reached out to brush a few sweat coated pieces of hair out of David’s face.. “And I'm a student of the Hamato clan. We’re enemies now.”

“How West Side Story of us.” David chuckled and Y/n couldn’t help but join.

“Yeah, except we arent’ star crossed lovers.”

“No... but we are practically siblings.” The man shrugged, “Estranged now I suppose.” 

Y/n hummed as she thought of his words. “Kinda like our masters huh?”

There was a beat of silence before David turned to her with a wide eyed expression. “Master Shredder and Master Splinter were siblings?!”

“You didn’t know?” The girl responded, biting her lip to keep away any laughter that wanted to bubble up because of his expression. “It’s a whole thing. The kicker has got to be in the Karai situation though.”

The man beside her threw his head back against the side of the piano while pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.” Y/n giggled. 

The pair laughed loudly before devolving into unrelated conversation. They spoke of past stories. What they’ve been up to. The people they’ve met, the training they’ve endured. It was easy. Through it all, they were still friends. Opposite sides of a turf war, sure, supposed to be fighting to the death at the moment, most likely, but friend nonetheless. This bout of nonsensical conversation was just what they needed. 

Suddenly, Y/n sighed heavily. “I know we're supposed to be trying to kill each other, but can I ask for some advice?”

“Of course you can, pretty girl.” David replied, sitting up straight to show that she had his full attention. 

“It’s about Franocur.” Y/n admitted as her opener.

“Blue crime fighting turtle, aka, Leonardo.” The man nodded. “I’ve heard alot about him and his brothers recently.”

“I would hope it was all good things, but I have doubts.” A small smile peaked at the corner of her mouth only to fade as Y/n suddenly found her legging to be much more interesting. “Anyway… I think you know this part but I, well I kinda really like him.”

“Yeah, you're as obvious as a billboard in farmland.” David droned as his eyes rolled over to meet her own. “That being said, I know that look. What did you do?”

Y/n had to take a breath before answering, attempting to fight down the embarrassment. “Well, Leonardo is acting as my sensei and he was helping me with meditation and then one thing led to another and…” That was it, the embarrassment won over. Instantly, Y/n hid her face in her hands as she mumbled out what has happened.“We got caught making out in the dojo.”

“Oh shit.” David gasped. “Was it one of his brothers or…”

“His dad.”

The man beside her hissed as if he had been burned before reaching over to rub hse shoulder in a comforting manner. “That sucks.” 

“Yeah, and it was the first time we’ve ever kissed and it got heated really fast. After we were caught, master splinter called Leo back to talk about it and I was eavesdropping and master splinter said that love can be dangerous and distracting and the thing is, he’s right.” Y/n started to ramble, though rather than the tight winding of stress she was used to the habit causing her, spilling her thoughts made her shoulders sag, as if a weight was being lifted from them. “If leonardo feels the same way about me as i do about him it could become a liability. Raphael says I should just talk to Leo about it, but he’ll go all noble on me and try to do whatever he thinks is going to make me happy, but I need him to think of the other factors and I just don’t know what to do or how to approach it.”

David smiled at her as he thought of how to answer. For The first time in months he felt at home sitting beside her, helping her out in the way he had ever since they became entangled in each other’s lives. “As far as things go with your turtle beau,  his brother has a point. You need to talk to him about this. There are two hearts on the line here. Yours and his. That being said, maybe you just start by getting everything out. Say your concerns, and let him react how he sees fit.”

“And then what?”

“Then you decide what's best for both of you together.” He shrugged, waiting for Y/n to meet his gaze before continuing. “You can’t make choices for him, the same way he can't make choices for you.”

“Okay.” Y/n said with a nod before suddenly lurching forward to pull David into a hug. “Thank you Davy.” she mumbled against his shoulder as the man’s arms soon settled around her waist.

“Of course,” he whispered. They linger in an embrace for a few more seconds before pulling away, and carefully rising to their feet.  “It’s getting late, or well early I guess since it’s nearly one. I have to report back at six am, they gave me a night off since I just got into the city.” 

Y/n nodded, understanding that their time together had come to an end. “I better get back too, they guys might come searching soon if they aren't out already.”

They exchange one final hug before Daivd grabbed his discarded mask and jumped off the stage and rushed towards the broken window. He waved at her from a distance, then pulled his mask over his face and made his escape, leaving Y/n alone under the emergency lights. She couldn’t move. Frozen to the stage with a content smile as he heart dully stung. It was bitter sweet. Another moment for them to cherish, but it could be their last. Running into each other here was a fluke, fate may not be so kind in the future.

She remained glued to her place until a sound caught her attention. The back door shutting. Her eyes widened and once again, her first instinct was to duck down. Hiding behind the piano, Y/n frantically reached for the two daggers she had abandoned while fighting David and held them in both hands as she waited. She couldn’t hear any footsteps, which was concerning. 

Glazing out from her hiding space she looked back stage. There was no light, but she could still make out two large shadows. Squinting she tried to make out a shape. That’s when relief settled over her. She took note of a shell and a large bo staff. Slowly she rose from her hiding space, and the figures turned. When they realized who she was they rushed towards the light, revealing themselves to be a very concerned Donnie and Mikey. They shouted her name in unison as they crowded her, before the older of the pair went back to his t-phone. 

“We found her, she was at the club.” Donnie said into the phone he was holding. before stepping backwards to finish whatever conversation he was having. 

Meanwhile, the younger turtle rushed towards Y/n. “What are you doing here dudette, we’ve been worried sick.” Mikey scolded her as he scanned her face as if looking for any injury.

Y/n sighed, and simply took the fussing in stride. “Sorry Angel, I guess I just got a little home sick and wound up here. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

 “Well you're safe now and in one piece,” Donnie cut in as he too started to look her over, only his eyes were quick to lock on her torn sleeve. Wasting little time he grabbed her injured arm and rolled up her hoodie sleeve to reveal a gasp that was still bleeding slightly. “Mostly? What happened to your arm?” 

“I uh… fell?” Y/n attempted to lie, but both turtles looked at her with unamused expressions that caused her to groan in defeat. “Okay fine, there might have been a few foot boots lingering around that i ran from, but that was a while ago so everything is all good now.” 

“Are you sure? This still looks kinda fresh.” The turtle in purple questioned as he scrutinized the injury.  

“Yeah tello, i’m sure.” She smiles at them while pulling her arm away and resetting her sleeve. “I’m ready to go back home to the lair now.” 

“Sounds good.” Mikey smiled and offered her a hand. “Leo is probably heading back there now, he was freaking out.”

And he still was when they arrived. Donnie had graciously offered to carry Y/n back home, but as soon as he set her down in the lair she had wished they walked so that she could avoid the team leader just a little bit longer. He didn’t look angry presay, just really scared. The fear however, bled into an hour long lecture on obedience and following the only rule he had given her all while he cleaned and wrapped her arm. 

Silently Y/n listened to his every word while nodding every once and a while. At first, the turtle didn’t seem to notice that she wasn’t fighting back against anything he was saying, but as soon as he caught on he soothed his tone. Slowly his words tapered off, leaving them in a tense silence.

“Finch, will you please talk to me.” Leonardo suddenly said, his lecture now over as desperation filled his tone. “Say something, anything! Please.”

“I’m sorry.” Y/n finally said, her voice softer than he had ever heard before. It made his heart clench as he started to worry if he was maybe too harsh on her. Before he could think too hard, he heard her speak again, this time a bit louder. “I’m sorry I left without telling you, I'm sorry I was out so late, I'm sorry I got hurt…”

“You're safe now, and that’s all that matters.” Leonardo cut her off as he carefully grabbed one of her hands with his own. “I don’t know what I'd do without.”

Y/n looked at their hands for a second. She was tempted to pull away, but she liked his touch too much. So instead he kept her head low as she replied. “Don’t say that.”

“What?”

Her hand clenched within his. “You do wonderfully without me Leo. You have for years. You and your brothers have put so much work into keeping the whole city safe.”

“I guess so.” he muttered in response.  “It doesn't change the fact that I don't want you getting hurt.”

She just nods and silence goes over them again.

“Do you regret it…” he asks, breaking the silence.

It was her turn to be confused as she looked up to study his face. As if their had switched bodies, the turtle was now staring at their joined hands leaving Y/n to look at the side of his head. “What?”

“What happened this morning, or i guess yesterday now.” Leonardo mumbled. “Do you regret kissing me?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I don’t think it is.” he replied simply.

“You don’t understand.” Y/n all but whimpered. She couldn’t control her mouth again. Her mind was a blur. Leonardo just did that to her. When he was close, when they spoke in this intimate way, she couldn’t think anymore. She ran on pure instinct. And her instinct admitted it. “I’m falling in love with you, Leonardo.”

“Y/n, I…” She holds up her hand to cut him off and he nods for her to continue speaking.

Instinct or not, she had more to say. David had told her she needed to get everything out if or when she talks to Leonado about it, and Y/n was smarter than to ruin the perfectly formed opportunity. “I can’t ask you to feel the same way as me. I can’t expect you to give up everything, your work, your family, your safety. All of that is more important than I'll ever be. So I’ll step back. So you can be stronger.” 

The turtle sat silently for a moment before tightening his grip on her hand. “What if I don't want you to step back.” 

Y/n’s eyes instantly met his, and he could tell she was prepared to argue, yet just below the surface there was a shaking doubt. “But Francour, I heard what Master Splinter said. Being with someone you love. Being with me could split your focus and make you sloppy if you're not careful and…”

“It won’t.” He argued. “If anything, having you here has improved my focus. Training you has eased my mind. Kissing you, calmed my heart. I am more at ease than I have been since before I was captured by shredder. And it’s all because I have you.” 

Silence again. Instant no longer knew what to do, and Y/n needed a moment to fid the right thing to say. “Maybe you should think about this more.” she suggested. Yeah, giving them both more time seemed like the right choice. “I mean, seriously Leonardo, who am I in comparison to all this? Your life, your family, the entire city. ”

“You are everything Finch.” The turtle stressed to her, and gave the girl a second to really hear his words before continuing with a stubble smile.“But if it would make you feel better, if we both took some more time before making any decisions regarding us, then I’ll honor that. But in return, you have to be the one to act when you're ready. Deal?”

“Deal.” Y/n replied with a smile, when a familiar warmth appeared in her stomach. A desire for something that she now knew was wonderful.“Francour… before we start our thinking, may I have um…”

She looked away sheepishly, before rising hand to her lips. Luckily, Leo understood her silent request and smiled at her. Carefully he moved her hand away from her lips and brought it to his own. “Whenever you’d like.”

Leading her hand down to the small bit of space between them, Leonardo leaned in. Y/n was quick to meet him halfway, letting her lips melt together for a second time. This kiss was sweeter. There was less desperation more of something else. Something scary, and new, and dangerous. Something wonderfully alluring. Something they wanted to grasp and hold into for as long as possible.

This kiss was filled with Love.

Chapter Text

            This will be fun, Y/n thought as she sat on a stool far enough away from the chaos that was about to occur in the middle of Mr. Murakami's restaurant. Everything was finally seeming calm. There had been minimal foot activity, and the team had yet to run into any more Kranng since the incident with Slash three weeks ago. It was nice. 

            It also gave Y/n time to think, which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse.

            Even so, she tried to give equal attention to both of the main pots she had simmering as she and her merry band of mutant roommates enjoyed their impromptu break. Pot number one was Leonardo. Specifically, any and all romantic feelings regarding the leader in blue. With April busy with school, Y/n desperately began looking for someone, anyone to talk to about the situation at hand. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately in his opinion, Donatello spent a lot of time with Y/n due to them being lab partners. This made her comfortable around him and gave enough time for her to talk his internal ears off. 

            Luckily, the purple clad turtle, who quickly rose the ranks into being Y/n’s closest friend in the lair (Turtles who she’s made out with excluded), was better at giving relationship advice than he was at taking it. So, after a few days of listening to the girl’s woes he finally cut her off with a simple.

            “It’s obvious you were the one who needed more time. So, take it, Leo isn’t going to rush you.” He finished his statement with a nod and went back to work leaving Y/n sitting at her designated desk to think over his words for so long she almost overheated their next batch of retro mutagen.

            While pretty simple on their own, Donnie’s words helped Y/n feel at ease, allowing her to move on to her second pot. Finding her mom on a spiritual plain and not finding her father there. Now there was only one person to go to about this issue. 

            Master Splinter himself. 

            So, after training one day, Y/n made them both some tea (or Leonardo made it for her since their father was particular, and Y/n really only wanted hot water and lemon) and sat down with the rat. Their conversations started light and airy, until Y/n finally gathered the courage to tell him about what she experienced while meditating. In the end the man pondered the story with a sip of his tea and a hum. Ultimately his only piece of advice was, ‘Amadare ishi wo mo ugatsu’, Even raindrops can penetrate a stone. If she waited patiently eventually the answers she wanted would become clear. What a fortune cookie answer. It wasn’t the answer she wanted but it would do.

            For now, this was nice, Y/n decided as she looked back over the boys all slowly getting into position for their impromptu training session. The girl smiled when Mikey winked at her, and a moment later, her expression grew when her eyes locked with Leonardo who was leaning against his own stool in the middle of his brothers. He returned the expression before looking back at his brothers.

            “Remember to focus.” Leo instructed.

            “Sure, you aren’t going to participate, Francoeur?” Y/n hummed from her corner, causing the leader to look back at her.

            His expression was sweet as he simply stared into her eyes before morphing something that bordered on teasing. “I’m the sensei tonight, so I won’t be participating in their silly competition.” When the turtle winked at her at the end of his sentence Y/n knew he was BSing her, but she bit back her smirk so as to not tell off his brothers.

            “I’ve put up with all of you for a long time, but this is about to get real!” Mikey suddenly said as he got into position.

            Raphael scoffed at him. “You don’t want to deal with this, Mikey.”

            “Big talk for someone with such a limited vocabulary, Raph.” Donnie taunted.

            The banter made Y/n laugh, while Leo rolled his eyes and called out to them. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

            “Are you kidding me?” the red clad turtle reposed. “I was born ready.”

            “Ok Mr. Murakami.” Leonardo called out to the restaurant's owner.

            The man nodded in response before throwing a single dumpling at the turtles. “One pizza gyoza, coming up.”

            Y/n couldn't help it, she laughed again as the three younger brothers all began scrambling for the piece of food. They looked similar to a pack of wild dogs all shoving each other out of the way and grabbing at mask ties. It was hard to look away.

            “Nakidori, your meal is ready.” Mr. Murakami suddenly spoke, coughing the girl to jolt and turn attention away from the turtles to look at her own tray of freshly prepared gyoza.

            “Thank you sir.” she chirped then looked back at the boys just in time to see them crash on top of each other in a messy dog pile. 

            The sight made her wince, but not enough that she missed Leonardo’s sneakily moved to catch the falling gyoza on the end of his sword. Carefully he drew back his blade, bringing the dumpling closer to himself as he smiled. “I thought I'd play after all.”

            Raphael watched with irritation as he shoved himself out of the dog pile just in time to see Leo toss the dumpling into his mouth. “What happened to Mr. ‘I’m too broody for this game’?”

            “This is really good.” With a smirk, their leader made his way over towards Y/n squeezing her shoulder before moving on to sit on the windowsill and look out towards the street.

            His eyes never left their leader, even as the other turtles sat at the counter beside her and began to eat their own plates of food. Y/n couldn’t help it. It was obvious what was bothering him. It was the same thing that had been bothering him for weeks. Clearly it was a problem, but Leonardo rarely even brought it up to her, so she felt like there was little she could do. Still, she nudged Donatello with her shoulder, hoping that just maybe his brother could get through to him.

            Glazing behind him, Donnie followed Y/n’s gaze towards his brother in the window. “He’s still brooding.”

            “He’s thinking about her.” Raphael smeared. “About Karai.”

            “Master splinter is her father; how could she still want to be with the shredder.” Leonardo asked them, as if one of them may have the answer he was looking for.

            “Well, she is your sister…” Y/n trails off. “But Mr. Okoru did raise her. Crazy and ruthlessly sure, but that is the father she grew up with. It’s hard to up and abandon family. Toxic or otherwise.” 

            As if to add something to conversation Michealangelo suddenly stood on top of the counter and started talking. They think? Really, none of them could make out a single word he was saying due to the sheer amount of food the youngest turtle had in his mouth. Even so, he stood proudly when he finished as if he said the most moving speech of all time.

            “Right,” Donatello said with a click of his tongue before looking at his eldest brother.  “Look Leo, she’ll come around.”

            “Yeah well personally, I hope she doesn’t.” Raph cut in. “I don’t trust her, not for one second.”

            What the turtle in red didn’t realize was that while he was saying his peace, Mikey had snuck up from behind and stolen his gyoza from his hand, something that everyone else present witnessed, and prompted Donnie to huff, “Your right Raph, you shouldn’t trust anyone.”

            Not a second later, the turtle in red bit down on his empty fingers and swiftly erupted with anger.  Y/n winced as Raphael suddenly jumped over the counter to tackle his younger brother to the floor, effectively ending all group conversation. Par for the course truly but didn't help with their eldest brother’s mood. 

            Feeling she should do something, Y/n rose from her seat and grabbed her mostly full tray of gyoza. She quickly closed the difference between her and Leonardo and sat down on the opposite end of the windowsill, leaving just enough room for her to place her tray between them. With a smile, the girl placed her hand on his arm to catch the turtle's gaze before looking from the tray back to his face. It was a clear invitation, but he refused to go for any of the food, until she picked up a dumpling and lifted it to his mouth. With a smile, Leonardo ate it, and finally accepted the chopsticks from her hand. 

            She smiled at this and took her turn to look out onto the street. It was a peaceful night, almost everyone had already retreated back to their homes, and not even the rouge hooligan seemed to be wandering about. It was easy to get lost in thought from starting such a simple scene. Though Y/n realized that this could also be causing the turtle beside her to spiral. So, clearing her throat, she turned her attention away from the street and back to Leonardo. 

            “Your father gave me some advice and I think you could use it as well.” Y/n started letting her eyes follow the flow if his mask ties from the knot down over his shoulder. An invisible tie seemed to pull her to reach for them, and before she knew it, one of the blue strips was being woven in and out of her fingers. “‘Amadare ishi wo mo ugatsu’, Even raindrops can penetrate a stone.”

            “Your pronunciation is getting better.” the turtle mumbled in response, seemingly ignoring her words as he reached out to grab her hand and pull his mask ties away..

            “Thank you, but the point is, patience and perseverance will be your best strategy.” she replied, trying her hardest to not roll her eyes at his pitiful attempt at detouring the conversation. “Karai is stubborn and most likely still processing the onslaught of new information that was presented to her. You kinda shook her entire would view Francoeur. She’ll need time, and for us to not give up on her.”

            He didn’t respond to her. He just squeezed her hand before looking out the window. Unsure what else to do, Y/n sighed and lifted to her feet. If he wouldn't talk to her, she couldn't make him. Before walking away however, she leaned back down and pressed a soft kiss on Leonardo’s cheek. It was small comfort but one she felt she could provide without overstepping in any way. Taking a step back she slid her hand from his and turned to leave. 

            “Wait Finch, your dinner.” He called out to her, his hand moving on his own to grab Y/n’s once again this time to hold her in place.

            “You eat it, I'll wait for a new order.” Y/n replied with a smile. “Besides, you boys have patrol tonight and I'm still grounded aren’t I?”

            Leonardo squeezed her hand and smiled; he knew what she was doing. She was making sure he took care of himself in her own way. “Just text me when you're leaving here, when you get into the sewers, and when you get home.”

            “Paranoid much.” the girl teased.

            “Just looking out for my Finch,” Leo replied honestly as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. 

            The turtle then released her, allowing Y/n to talk back to the counter to reorder her dinner while the boys continued to eat. By the time her gyoza was up, the boys had finished their meals. Respectfully they stacked their trays and began stretching out their muscles in preparation to leave. Leonardo left his place on the window, now empty tray in hand and stacked it with the others beside Y/n before kissing her head. She smiled up at him in response, mouth full of dumpling making the turtle chuckle.

            “Alright, let's head out,” he instructed, then looked at Y/n one more time. “See you at him.”

            She shot him a thumbs up, and not a second later, the purple clad turtle was at her side voicing his concern about her being left alone. “Y/n are you going to be alright getting home on your own?”

            “I’ve got it Tello, there is a manhole not far from here I can sneak into and once I'm in the sewers I'm practically home.” She reassured. “I’ll text you the same updates as I do Leonardo.”

            The boys left in a large group all shouting their goodbyes and reminding her to get back to the lair sooner rather than later. She nodded and waved them off before going back to watching Mr. Murakami cook in front of her. He was an artist in the kitchen, and it showed through his every movement. There was  grace and confidence, and hell if they hadn't had told her, (y/n) never would have known he was blind. 

            Suddenly, the chef appeared in front of her, clearing trays as he spoke. “I am sorry your meal took me so long to prepare, Nakidori.”

            “Oh, it’s completely fine Mr. Murakami.” Y/n reassured before looking around the restaurant with a content sigh. “I really love your restaurant. It’s one of the few tastes of freedom I get to experience.”

            The man hums at her commentary before smiling. “You are a treasure and are being treated as such.”

            “As sweet of a sentiment as that is, being cooped up all the time is beyond frustrating.” Y/n admitted while leaning against the countertop, chin resting on her folded hands.  “Sure, I've finally been allowed back on patrols after my two weeks lock down, but it’s not the same as going to a restaurant and enjoying a meal with a friend.”

            The pair exchanged a smile before Mr. Murakami suddenly offered Y/n a hand. “Join me Nakidori-chan, it is only right for friends to share passions. Allow me to teach you.” 

            “Are you serious?” Y/n asked, her face lighting up as she reached for the man’s outstretched hand, using it as leverage to climb over the counter. “You want to teach me to cook with you?”

            “Of course, now wash your hands and then you can begin helping me shred the cheese for your gyoza.” The man instructed and Y/n instantly obeyed. 

            For the few minutes it took to complete her meal everything felt at ease. It was fun, and calming, and made her feel normal for once. A normal evening being mentored in a normal hobby. In the end the gyoza she completed were slightly misshapen, but they still tasted just as good, maybe even better than usual since Mr. Murakami agreed to sit and eat with her. It was a wonderful moment that led  to another as Y/n managed to talk the man into letting her help with the clean-up. 

            All things, however, no matter how good, must come to an end. And this good thing, this good moment, came shattering down around her when without warning Mr. Murakami pushed Y/n down behind the counter and went back to sweeping as if nothing had happened.

            Confused, she went to rise from the floor only for the chef to stop her with a stubble touch to her arm. So instead, she whispered. “What’s going on?”

            “Shh, I hear someone.” the man repulsed. “Stay hidden, I will distract them for you.”

            “Mr. Murakami, I can…” Y/n started to argue, her hand reaching for her thigh where her knives were just waiting to be used. 

            “Nakidori, please.”

            There was a desperation in his voice that made it hard for Y/n to disobey, so the girl simply slumped back down. “Fine.” she muttered, thought she still reached down to secure one of her kunai in her hand, just in case. 

            A rush of air could be heard followed quickly by the chef’s voice. “Hello? Is somebody there?” Mr. Murakami called out. “Leonardo?”

            “Not quite.” Y/n heard someone response as well as the sound of the broom being thrown before there is a thud, she assumes it's Mr. Murakami. “Where are the turtles?”

            “I don’t know what you're talking about.”

            “Lying will only make this worse.” She knew that voice. Y/n’s stomach dropped when she realized who was talking. It was Karai. “Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello. Where do they live?”

            “I don’t know.” The chef begged. “Please, please.”

            There was a moment of silence before Karai could be heard again. “There is no honor in this.”

            That was enough waiting, Y/n decided. Gripping her knight she slowly peaked over the counter, relieved to see Karai’s back to her. The same could be said about the giant tiger mutant that stood beside her. Y/n knew that if she was going to attack, this was the opening. Silently she toed off her flats, knowing that her bare feet would be quieter than the squeaky rubber soles,  then climbed on top of the counter. Only when the tiger spoke did she lunge.

            “I didn’t come here for honor.” the mutant growled, but before he could claw at Murakami, Y/n jumped from the counter and onto his back.

            The mutant was fast. Faster than the turtles ever were. Before she could blink, Y/n was dislodged from his shoulders and thrown across the room. She landed hard against the wall, a wooden picture frame stabbing into her spine as her head banged against the glass hard enough for it to splinter. She winced and crumbled to the ground, but luckily, her adrenaline was high. Y/n lifted herself onto shaking legs and adjusted her grip on her weapon. 

            When she looked up, Y/n instantly made eye contact with Karai. Her old friend looked shocked to see her, but the tiger beside her just seemed pissed. Turning her attention to the mutant Y/n charged against this time she was met halfway. The tiger had prepared for her and reached out with one giant hand. He grabbed her by the throat, and pushed back until she was once again slammed against the wall. The mutant had his other hand raised, claws at the ready as he tightened his grip on her neck, effectively slowing her airflow.

            “I know you.” he growled as his eyes raked over her squirming form. “You're the singer who ran away with those filthy reptiles.”

            Sucking in a labored breath, Y/n managed to test her expression into a scowl. She didn’t like that she was recognized as just some singer, who ran away. Not only that, but Y/n didn’t like that the turtles were labeled as nothing more than filthy reptiles. Then again, this mutant was clearly a bad guy if he was hunting down the turtles and beating an old blind man, so there was a chance he was choosing his word specifically to get a rise out of Y/n. Part of her wanted to act unaffected just to fuck with him, the other part of her, the part that was starting to become a bit light headed due to lack of oxygen was too angry to care.

            “Tell me where they are.” The tiger hissed.

            “Bite me.” She replied, silently proud that she could sound so determined while feeling so physically weak. 

            To her surprise, rather than a snarl the tiger smirked at her.  “Glady.” He then bared his teeth and began to move forward as if he intended to bite a chunk out of the girl’s shoulder.

            “Stop! She’s not who we were after.” Karai’s voice suddenly echoed through the restaurant. Her partner turned to her with a glare at the interruption, but his grip on Y/n’s throat lessons while he listened to the other woman’s words. When Karai approached her expression showed a confident victory, but her eyes were filled with worry, as if somehow, something she was doing wouldn’t work out. She blinked away that worry, and allowed the confidence to fully take over as she gestured towards Y/n.  “But we’ll take her as a trophy for my father.”

            “Karai…” Y/n whimpered at her friend’s words. If her heart hadn’t been shaken by betrayal before, it certainly had now. The same woman who encouraged her to run, told her to escape, was about to hand her over to a man who would most definitely kill her. 

            She didn’t have time to think any longer. Without warning, the tiger tightened his grip on her neck and lifted her until only her toes remained on the ground. Y/n was quick to start clawing at his paw with one hand and lifted her other, which was still tightly wound around her kunai, to stab the mutant's wrist. While the attack did free her, the tiger released his grip on her neck while throwing her over the counter. Gasping for air, Y/n’s body failed trying to find balance or purchase on something, anything. 

            When she finally hit something steady she screamed. She had landed with her back half on top of a counter, her right half on top of the cooling flat top stove. Being turned off only five minutes prior, the metal surface instantly began burning her shoulder and arm. The shock made Y/n feel as if she instantly launched herself forward to get away, but her aching body reacted slower than intended. When she landed on the ground, she managed to look at her arm through tear filled arms only to find it was already a deep shade of red. 

            Lifting her head Y/n saw the tiger and Karai staring at her, reminding her that the battle wasn’t done. She had to keep moving. A ninja never gives up, that is what Leonardo had been teaching her. With a glance to the ground, she noted that she lost her original blade on the other side of the counter. When she went to reach for a second however she was harshly reminded of her new burns. Still, she tried to reach for her thigh. Once again, Y/n discovered that her body was moving slower than her mind, this time, when Karai jumped the counter and grabbed her wrist.

            The other woman quickly twisted her arm back before reaching for her other wrist, pinning them both to the small of her back. Y/ns cried out again, and Karai gently shushed her. “Just trust me songbird, I'll keep you safe. I promise.”

            Suddenly Y/n felt Karai tuck something into her back pocket. She tried to focus on that feeling. Whatever it was, it was sharp, and Y/n’s mind instantly jumped to her weapon. Karai was giving me back my knife? She wondered. A moment later, the dark-haired woman made a show of grabbing Y/n’s three other Kunai and keeping them to herself. Yn’s mind was still in a fog, but she understood. Karai was making sure that this tiger mutant saw Y/n as unarmed. 

            The mutant nodded at what he saw before turning back to Mr. Murakami. Y/n did get to see what came next. No. Karai began to drag Y/n out of the restaurant just as the tiger’s questioning began. She kicked, she screamed with all she had left, but there wasn't much she could do. Each movement made her want to cry. Karai’s grip on her was secure. She was forced to use the little strength she had left to keep from falling from the fire escape that the other woman was forcing her up. 

            When they made it to the roof, Y/n had a few brief seconds of freedom, and she tried to run. But she only made it a few steps before pain jolted through her. The feeling intensified when she found herself in a vice-like grip. Only it was clear that this wasn’t meant to detained her. No. This was a hug. An affectionate one. And man did that piss Y/n off.

            Using her good arm, she shoved Karai away and prepared to begin yelling, but Karai was fast to cover her mouth. “Listen! Please.” She begged Y/n, though it only earned her a glare. Karai sighed at this “You were never intended to get tangled up in this, but I need your help.” 

            Grumbling Y/n shoved Karai’s hand away and spat out her words. “Why should I help you Karai, you’ve betrayed me. You're about to turn me into your father! You’re hunting down Francoeur and his family! You're working with a mutant who is currently beating up a helpless blind man!”

            “Listen!” Karai begged again, “I swear on the name of our past friendship. I just want to be reunited with my father.” 

            Y/n froze at her words. That was a hefty promise. Their friendship meant everything to Y/n even if the foundations have been faltering over the past few months. Karai must know that it’s hanging on by a thread, so if she’s grasping at it, she must be desperate. 

With that in mind, Y/n huffed. “Fine. But Karai, I swear to God if you're lying to me!”

            “I’m not, songbird,” She coos, caressing her cheek. “I promise.”

            Y/n swatted her hand away. She didn't like how that felt. Like something that was supposed to be filled with love. “What do you need from me?”

            “We need to find April O’Neil.”

***

            The next few minutes passed in a hazy blur. Y/n remembered Karai forcing her to jump the rooftops until she finally crumbled on one not far from the movie theater she knew April and Casey were supposed to be at. Seeing that Y/n couldn’t move any further, Karai left her there, telling her to wait as she returned the three Kunai she had stolen while at the restaurant. Y/n took the time she had waiting for her return to resheath them before feeling her back pocket to confirm that the fourth and final dagger was in fact there. She would have properly put that away as well if bending that way didn't hurt so damn much. 

            Something else that she noted was a series of phone calls that came in. She wanted to answer them, after all there were six for Donnie and eleven from Leo, but Karai told her not to contact the turtles yet. Not until they had April with them and talked things out. Not really in the mood to get any more injured Y/n obeyed, and simply watched as her phone rang until it went to voicemail, adding another tick to her notifications bar.

            When April and Karai finally returned, both women rushed to her side to check on her. April nearly began fighting Karai over Y/n’s damaged state before the singer reached up to stop her. Using April as supposed Y/n forced herself back onto her feet and nodded towards Karai. One command to explain herself now and Karai began talking. 

            “All my life I was raised to believe that the shredder was my father. That splinter was the enemy. So, when Leo told me that Splinter was my true father, I couldn’t accept it. But then, I began to have doubts about the Shredder’s honor.” Karai explained, causing the other two women to exchange a glance.

            “Doubts about the leader of the evil ninja clan.” April droned.

            “The same one who sends teams to assault your best friend, and oh right! Gives people away as pets.” Y/n added with an eyeroll of her own. 

            “Yes, even now, the shredder has sent Tiger Claw to destroy the turtles.” Karai sighed. “He’s trying to use me to set a trap for them, but I can’t. Even if it means betraying Shredder.”

            April looks shocked and glances at Y/n. The other woman bites her lip, unsure but eventually sighs. “She did stop Tiger Claw from killing me earlier…” Y/n explained before looking up with a teasing glint in her eyes, “Would have been nice before I got what will no doubt become a lovely bruise across my entire torso to go along with the burns.” 

            Karai winced at the mention of her friend’s injuries. “Sorry about that.” 

            Y/n rolls her eyes. “Hopefully Leo is into tough girls.”

            That caused Karai to perk up and look at Y/n with a small smile. “Wait, you and Leo? He finally said something huh? You guys have been living together for months now.”

            The singer could feel her face getting red at the mention of her… situationship. “Eh…well we're not like together, it’s complicated.”   

            “Is it complicated, or are you making it complicated?” Karai asked.

            “Well…”

            “Y/n, focus.” April scolds before leaning close to Y/n and whispering. “You are totally filling me in later.”

            “Anyway! Back to the matter at hand.” Y/n cut is desperately wanting to change the conversation before her face is as red as her burns. “Karai swore to me that she’s being legit, but I don't feel like I've been around long enough to just trot on home with her behind me. What do you think, April?”

            “I don’t know…” The redhead sighed. “This feels like a Leo decision.”

            As they spoke, on a nearby rooftop, Leonardo and Donatello urgently scanned the area. While they still had no clue where to begin when it came to looking for Y/n, they had a lead for April that they had to follow. Her dad said she went to the movies tonight, so that’s where they stood. Lo scanning the right, and Donnie the left. Luckily for them, their search didn’t take nearly as long as they assumed they would have to, since only a few minutes after they began, Donnie caught a glimpse of them on a nearby rooftop. 

            He watched with wide eyes as Y/n shrugged while speaking before wincing. April reacted fast, reaching out to the other girl with a concerned expression. If that wasn’t enough to make him want to rush to them, standing only a few paces away from the girls, reaching out to the singer with equal amounts of concern was Karai.

            “Leo!” Donnie called out, catching his older brother’s attention. “There’s April, and she has Y/n with her.”

            The turtle in blue nearly pushed down his brother as he hurried in the direction he was looking. “Come on!”

            They got to the roof in record time, scaling the building and instantly going towards the girls, prepared to start a fight if needed.

            “Get away from them!” Donnie shouts as April quickly moves in front of him while Y/n hurries to Leo, not hesitating to put her hands firmly against his biceps to stop him.

            The leader gripped her arms in return causing Y/n to bite back a wince. Unfortunately, he caught it and instantly began to scan her, eyes locking on the already bloating section of her right arm.  “Finch, what happened? Mr. Murakami told us he heard them roughing you up.”

            “I’m ok Francoeur.” Y/n tried to sooth  him with her words, but unfortunately with the scene of security the Leonardo provided with his presence she muscles began to loosen letting the pain rush though her so intense that she bit her lip to hold back tears.

            Raising a hand to her cheek, Leonardo caught a droplet before it could fall before turning his attention away to glare at the dark-haired woman behind her. “Karai, I thought we had an agreement!”

            “Leo, Donnie, wait!” April cut in. “You have to listen to what she has to say.”

            “I believe you Leonardo.” Karai called out. “I believe that splinter is my true father.”

            The turtle in blue hesitated, his eyes moving back down the severely injured woman in front of him as he tried to process the seemingly simple statement. Y/n leaned into his touch to try and reassure him, while April spoke up. 

            “I believe that she believes you.”

            “I believe, April.” Donnie added.

            Leo’s eyes remained on Y/n look at her, waiting as if she held the answer he really needed.  Managing a smile, Y/n spoke. “She swore to me she’s telling the truth. If our past means anything to her, then it’s worth believing.”

           “This.” Leo looks away to think about it for a moment before pulling y/n into a hug, so blinded by excitement that this time he didn't process her wince. “This is great!” After a twirl, Leonardo set Y/n down then rushed to Karai. “I knew you’d come around.” He then grabs her hand and starts to drag her away. “We’ll take you to the lair to see Master Splinter.”

            The other three linger for a second as Leonardo used Karai down the fire escape. Eventually April smiled and moved forward to follow them. Donnie looked at Y/n and nervously sighed. “Raph is not going to believe this.”

            “Understatement of the century.” She laughs a little the winces and holds her side. “Ow, fuck.”

            “Woah. Are you gonna be okay?” He asked

            “I was thrown against and pinned to a wall by a giant tiger man before being tossed over a counter onto a hot stove.  I'm not exactly in tip top shape.” Y/n replied with a forced smile. 

            Donnie winces at the thought before moving to carefully suppose this friend. “Your body isn’t made to withstand damage like ours are.”

            “You just now noticed I don’t have a shell? Wow Tello I thought you were the smart one.” Y/n starts giggling again and winces. “Ow, ok, no laughing.” 

            Donnie laughed at her before bending down and picking her up with one arm. “Come on, I'll give you a lift back and hopefully once the initial shock of what's about to happen fades, I'll get a chance to check you out.”

            Y/n nodded at his words, while leaning against his chest. “Look at you, gonna see a girl shirtless. How scandalous.”

            “Not any more scandalous than you and Leo sharing a bed. Now hold on.”

***

            “I don’t believe this.” Yeah, that was the greeting they received from Raphael when the group walked back into the lair with Karai trailing sheepishly behind them. “What have you guys done!”

            “Casey!” April shouted, clearly not caring about what the red clad turtle had to say. 

            In her defense, Casey did not look good. He was bruised and bloody and passed out on the couch with Mikey frantically nursing him. It was that that motivated Y/n to push out of Donatello’s arms. She tried to ignore her own pain in favor of stumbling toward the more injured human. All while Raph screamed in the background.

            “What world do you live in that it’s okay to bring the princess of the foot clan to our secret lair!”

            Mikey then came back from the kitchen with a bowl of soup and returned to feed some to Casey. Y/n, who had now found a spot on the floor, reached up to stop the youngest turtle with a concerned look. “Oh Mikey! Let me taste that before you feed it to him, I love you but sometimes what you cook is um… dangerous for those who aren’t in the peak of health.” 

            The turtle in orange smiled at her as he lowered the spoon to her lips. “Don’t worry dudette, I warmed up the leftovers from the soup you made us earlier this week.”

            “Thank god,” both the girls sighed before going back to check on their fellow human. 

            “What happened to Casey?” Leo asked as he turned his attention to watch the girls take over Casey’s care.

            “Tiger claw threw him off a building.” Raphael grumbled bitterly.

            “Oh! Injury buddies!” Y/n cheers causing everyone to look at her, Leo in particular in sheer panic. “Oh no! I wasn’t thrown off a building just thrown against a few walls and counter and um… I'm going to shut up now.”

            Raph stares at her before shaking his head, his argument not further supported by his female roommate’s inability to shut up. “Wow, and you just brought that guy's partner in crime over for dinner!”

            “Shredder lied to me! I didn’t know!” Karai suddenly cut in.

            “Did you know that I’m about to stick this Sai up your…”

            “Raph no!” Leonardo cut in, stopping his younger brother before he could do anything irrational. “She understands now.” 

            “She gets it, she knows the truth Raph.” “Everything is going to be fine.” 

            “Will you just listen?”

            “I’ve heard enough from you,” Raphael grumbled. “She’s probably leading the shredder here right now.”

            “Enough!” Master Splinter’s voice echoed over the arguing, accusing everyone to turn his way, and Karai to move forward. As soon as the rat mutant saw the girl, she froze. “Miwah.”

            “Splinter.” She replied.

            “Come with me.” The man instructed simply, and the girl was quick to follow him toward the dojo.

            The group watched as Karai was led away before the turtles walked into the living room and jumped down into the conversation pit. Donnie went to check Casey’s conditions while Leo knelt down next to Y/n. Carefully he reached for her burnt arm, picking up for inspections, callused fingers gliding over the injury until Y/n winced. Leonardo had never let go of her quite as fast. He hated seeing her hurt, and definitely didn't want to be causing her any more pain. 

            “Thrown into a few walls?” Leo asked her, tone showing just how stressed he was.

            “And strangled. I mean it hurts like hell, but it can’t be that bad. The burn has got to be the worst of it.” She then lifts her shirt to just under her bra and sees the damaged skin. “Okay… maybe it’s bad, but I'll be fine, it's probably just bruising.” 

            “Probably…” Leonardo grumbled back as he lowered her shirt as if seeing the injury offended him somehow. He then reached for her and caressed her face. This time the action felt right. Comforting, love filled, nothing like Karai’s touch. “But I want to know for sure. Donnie?”

            At the sound of his name, the tallest brother moved forward, but instead of checking on Y/n he gestured towards Casey. “We already talked about it. I’ll take a look at her after we handle Casey.” 

            “So, we are just going to leave Karai alone with Master Splinter.” Raphael asked.

            “No,” Y/n replies as she stands, giving herself an extra moment to stabilize herself before taking a step towards the dojo. “I need to talk to her about finding a place to sleep. Unless of course one of you is hoping for a roommate.”

            “I think she should be Leo's roommate, he wanted her here.” Raph suggested with a smirk, that only grew when Y/n turned to glare at him.

            Even Mikey felt the tension that suggestion caused, prompting him to step in. “Dude, that place is already taken.”

            “Yeah, and no one wants to be a part of anyone else’s bedroom fun.” April teased as he owns attempt to lighten the mood. 

            "April.” she hisses before pinching the bridge of her nose. “Okay, we don’t. We haven’t… ok whatever. I’m going to talk to Karai.”

            “I’ll join you.” Leo quickly rose to his feet, moving to Y/n’s side to place a supportive hand on her back. 

            “Like hell I'm letting her out of my sight for long.” Raphael barked out.

            “My first aid kit is in the dojo, so I'll tag along.” Donnie popped in.

            “Family field trip to the Dojo!” Mikey then decided and the group made their way to the dojo where Karai and Splinter were talking. 

            The group entered silently, being overly aware that they could be interrupting an important conversation. Of course, what they heard was something they weren’t supposed to, but it wasn’t what they accepted either.

            “I…I can’t believe it.” Karai stuttered. “You're telling the truth. All of these years the Shredder has been lying to me.”

            The group froze on the spot. That was definitely not what they were expecting to hear. Y/n’s heart sinks, she’s not surprised but she was disappointed. No. Not disappointed, what she felt was stronger than that. It was a burning feeling rather than a depressing cold. Yet she still began to shake. At her side, Leonardo spared her a glance, but it was evident that he was going through a similar emotional scramble as he moved forward.

            “Wait, you can’t believe it?” Leo started. “I thought you did believe it. If you didn’t believe it, why did you come down here?”

            Rather than addressing the turtle, Karai began to panic. “Father, what have I done?” 

            That’s when she found the words. Y/n was angry. No, not just angry. She was resentful, and pugnacious. The singer felt completely betrayed. And what made it worse was that she felt as if she had been played a fool. After all, it was her greenlight that prompted Leonardo to believe Karai and take her here to the lair. A greenlight she gave because she was given a promise.

            Y/n was fuming. Her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms while her whole body quaked with pent up rage. There was only a second before Donatello took notice. Acting fast, he pulled Mikey back a few paces. The youngest turtle was prepared to protest, but the words melted away on his tongue when Y/n’s eyes suddenly opened to a harden glare at Karai. 

            With an angry scream the girl lurched forward, her hands moving from fists to claws fully prepared to deliver as much damage as possible. Luckily for Karai, Y/n was caught only a second before she could tackle the other woman to the ground. Donnie’s strong arm held her against his chest powering through Y/n’s kicks and screams as all of her physical aggression turned towards the turtle. Her words, however, were still being thrown at Karai, and if the look in the dark-haired woman’s eye was anything to go off of, they were hurting as much as any punch would have.

            “You liar! You fucking liar! You swore to me!” Y/n screamed along with a plethora of colorful slurs that even Raphael would have been afraid to use in the presence of their father.. “Donatello let me go!”

            The turtle behind her only tightened his grip at the request. “That seems like not a good idea.”

            “Y/n please.” Karai tried, but she could hardly get a word in over the singer’s shouting.

            “No! No more please! No more promises!” Y/n shouts before her struggle gives way and she stares at Karai sadly. “I trusted you Karai…”

            Karai looked away, clearly ashamed before Master Splinter approached and grabbed her shoulder. “You had to see with your own eyes. You had to learn for yourself.”

            As if a shock went through her, Karai stood straighter and stared back at her father. “You knew. You knew I was lying.”

            “No doubt the shredder’s forces are on their way.” the rat mused.

            “What was that last part?”

            “Tiger claw is tracking me, or well… her.” Karai explained as she sheepishly gestured towards Y/n. 

            Y/n’s eyes widen as she quickly realized how that could be possible. On her leg were three of her kunai. But there was still one in her pocket. One that Karai had kept out of her field of vision since it was picked up at the restaurant. Ignoring the pain that came with the action, Y/n quickly reached into her back pocket and grabbed her weapon. 

            Pulling it front, she began to inspect it. Before long, her eyes landed on a subtle rise in the china rose wrappings. She pressed on the top of the bump, pushing until a small device fell from the ribbon. Y/n swiftly looked it over eyes widening with fear for a single passing moment before her glare returned once again.

            The expression on her face made Karai feel as if she had been stabbed by the hatred in her friend's eyes. “You put a tracker on my kunai!”

            “I told you!” Raph screamed in Leo’s ear.

            “Karai!” Leo claimed.

            “There's no time to argue! I have to get that device out of here.” Karai shouted over the quickly building chaos. “I can…I can lead Tigerclaw away!”

            Before anyone could argue, Master Splinter took command. “Go, take Karai and watch over her. Y/n and I will stay with April and attend to Casey.”

            Knowing better than to argue with their father, the boys nodded while Karai approached Y/n. She moved hesitantly with her hand held out, stopping when only her hand was close enough to the other woman to receive the tracking device. At first, neither of them moved, only Y/n’s eyes darting between the outstretched hand and Karai’s eyes. The singer then dropped the device into the open palm, but the second Karai’s fingers wrapped around the tracker, Y/n reached out again grabbing her wrist. 

            Aggressively, Y/n tugged the other woman forward until they were nose to nose. Her glare is steady, and her lips pulled into a snarl. The expression was filled with so much venom, that the men surrounding them feared that they would have to intervene. Luckily, before any of them could move, Y/n said her peace.

            “Listen closely.” She hissed. “I will never forgive you for this.”

            Y/n let go of Karai with a shove, leaving the Dojo without another word. She didn’t even speak to April when the red head greeted her. She just stalks over to Casey and sits on the ground next to April. She reaches down and feels his head to check for any spike in temperature. She pulls back and sits, staring at her hand. There is silence for a moment before she hears the boys and Karai rushing past. Y/n looks up at them just in time to catch Leo’s gaze. It’s sympathetic, but she just looks away. She’s still so angry that she’s still shaking.

            Not long after, Master Splinter approaches and places a calming hand on her shoulder. “Calm child, I understand your anger, but you must not let it consume you.”

            Rather than responding Y/n just turns her head to the side while ripping out her hair tie. The girl tried to use it as a stress ball of sorts. Pulling it and letting it contract time and time again until it suddenly snaps and launches across the room. Y/n growled at the broken elastic while April placed a comforting hand on her knee. 

            “Take it that we were played?”

            “Ding ding ding,” Y/n replied sarcastically. “The boys are now trying to outrun Tiger claw and lead him away from the lair. Karai put a tracker on my kunai. He was heading our way.”

            April’s eyes widened but before she could reply splinter cuts in. “What’s done is done. We must focus on the matter at hand.” He gestures to Casey and the girl’s nod.

            “Do you think he’ll be ok?” April asked.

            “Ugh, April…” Casey groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. “Why did you have to bring Irma? She’s so nasty.”

            Y/n giggles through a wince as they watch Casey slowly lift onto his elbows. “I think he’ll be just fine.” 

            Aprils squeezes her knee again, but this time leans against her shoulder. “We won’t be losing any more friends today.” She whispers to her, and Y/n leans her head against hers with a sigh.

            The girls took a moment to simply enjoy each other's company as Casey sent them a strained smile. While it was evident that he didn’t really know what was going on, he still understood that those few seconds of silence was needed. When the moment passed, Y/n was the first to move, carefully lowering herself into the conversation pit to help Casey sit up straight, working through her own wincing. Splinter and April soon followed her lead, and together they began treating Casey’s injuries. 

            Miraculously, the boy should be able to walk out of the lair by the end of the night. Bruised from head to toe with a tightly wrapped wrist that they couldn’t quite figure out if it was broken or not, yeah… but still being able to go home was better than not waking up at all. Contently, Y/n sad back on her haunches when she finished wrapping the boy’s wrist, leading her to release her own pained hiss.

            This of course caused everyone to turn their attention to her. They gave her a few simple checks before following the bruises and burns on her arms to the hem of her sleeve. Y/n didn't hesitate to reach for the bottom of her top, but her body refused to perform the popper twists and lifts to remove it. Ultimately, with April’s help they managed to get her shirt off, and Splinter came to sit behind her with a burn ointment to apply to her arm and shoulder.

            “Woah… topless nurse.” Casey smirks. “With a purple torso, damn.”

            “Yeah, your nurse feels like shit, but I'm sure you feel worse,” She replies. “So hopefully the mini show is some comfort.” 

            Y/n rolled her eyes at her own statement, the expression only encouraged by the teasing wolf whistle Casey released. That was the end of it though, and Y/n noted proudly that the boy was careful to keep his eyes locked with her own, rather than letting them wander. Casey Jones there may be hope for you yet, Y/n thought with a smile as she carefully lifted her arms so that April and Splinter could apply Donnie’s bruise solvent next and coat her torso in bandages. Once they finished, April helped pull Y/n’s shirt back on over her head, being sure to mind her injuries in the process.

            “You ok A?” Y/n asked the other woman who smiled at her sweetly.

            “Yeah, I got out unscaved this time.” 

            “Good.” the singer responded before walking towards the television and pulling out her black binder of movies. “Now I think we all deserve a move to mark the end of this TLC session.” 

***

            When the boys finally returned home, it was in science with the movie credits rolling. The cheerful soundtrack of their rom com, however, was not nearly loud enough to block out Donnie shouting for Y/n urgently. With a jolt she turned over her shoulder only to launch up to her feet and run to the boy’s side. She didn't need a briefing to understand the game plan. Get him to the lab, start assisting. After all, the three of them were carrying a passed-out Mikey who was looking nearly as bad as Casey and Y/n did. The girl knew what that meant. Michelangelo must have had a run in with Tigerclaw.

            It took over an hour to find all of his injuries and reset the arm which was pulled from its socket, but Y/n and Donnie managed to do it. The hardest part was getting his shell realigned. Y/n didn’t quite understand what he had been doing, but from where she was, and what she had to pull on, it seemed almost as if Michelangelo's muscles had shifted, causing his shell’s support to be off. The sounds that fixing that would no doubt haunt her dreams, but at least it was fixed. Finally, Mikey seemed to be sleeping peacefully, hopefully in at least a little less pain than before. 

            “Thanks partner,” Donnie finally said, breaking the tense silence that had been bearing down on them while they worked. 

            “I’m glad it wasn’t worse.” Y/n replied with a nod he eyes scanning the now trashed medical area. “You go ahead and get Mikey to bed, I’ll clean up in here.”  

            “I’ll help,” Raphael, who refused to leave as they worked, spoke up, and soon the two turtles picked up their little brother and carted him out of the lab.

            Y/n only had a minute alone, before she heard Leonardo enter the lab. She looked over to him curiously, before going back to work. In an instant the turtle was at her side, helping her pick up the strewn around medical supplies. They functioned silently, but in tandem, like a practiced dance, but everything was cleared. Shutting the first aid kit with a metal click, Y/n handed it off to Leo, who just looked at it before speaking.

            “Don’t you still need treatment, Finch?”

            “No.” she says curtly. “Your father and April coated me in salve and wrapped my entire upper body in bandages.”

            “Good.”

            “Yeah.” Y/n nodded before smirking to herself. “Casey enjoyed the peek show as well.”

            Leo’s entire body stiffened. “Wait. what?” 

            “We did treatment in the living room. Casey was there and I had to take my shirt off.” Y/n explained simply before turning, making her smug expression visible to the turtle.. “Don’t worry Francoeur, you get to put the new bandages on me tomorrow morning after showers. If you're lucky I'll ditch my bra for you as well, that way you keep one over Casey.”

            Leo rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop his smile. It was nice to see her calmer after he had to leave her so angry earlier. “You are such a flirt.”

            “Maybe,” the girl hummed as she approached, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “You have to admit it’s a great distraction.”

            They stand happily for a moment, and Leo leans down to kiss her. Y/n forced herself to look away at the last second, letting the turtle’s lips press against her cheek. She may be able to distract with her words, but her mind was still angry. She needed to know where things were going to go from here in regard to their whole family.

            “Karai? I didn't see her come back with you.” Y/n asked.

            Leonardo sighed at the question, breath feeling heavy. “She was captured by tiger claw and no doubt returned to the shredder.”

            “Oh…” Y/n trailed off. She wasn’t sure what that made her feel. Her heart pinged as if she should be upset by the information, but at the same time she was still so angry at Karai for what she had done to them. “It’s…It’s probably for the best right… I mean… she betrayed us.” 

            “She fought alongside us.” Leonardo explained, voice soft as if he could see Y/n’s struggle from her eyes alone. “She helped us get you here in the first place too. Karai has good in her.” 

            “I don’t doubt that.” the girl sighed. “When you talk to Karai, like really talk to her, you can see the scared little girl that's inside of her. She’d never realize it herself, but she's so easily manipulated. Her personal morals stand on pillars of sand.” 

            “If she’s so scared, then you know that we should be helping her.” 

            “You can only give people so many chances, Leonardo.” It was then that Y/n allowed her eyes to meet his, desperation shining through. “How many more should I extend to her.” 

            With a sigh, the turtle leaned down, placing their foreheads together as a silent comfort. “Please, help me save her.”

            Y/n remained silent for a moment, thinking of the request before replying in the only way that felt right. “For you, Leonardo. I’m not doing this for her.”

            “Thank you, Finch.”

Chapter Text

So gentlemen, deal me out

Do not try to feel me out

I got no more evenings free

“Since I've met you, I’ve learned just how little I actually know, but if there is one thing in this world I understand, it is that you are mine, and I am yours.”

Chapter Text

            Planning, recovery, planning; planning, recovery, planning; planning, recovery…you get the jist. This was Y/n’s life for the past three weeks. She would wake up, shockingly after Leonardo, only to find the turtle either sitting beside her in bed or on the floor writing away in a journal that he used exclusively for mission planning. Carefully, y/n would sit up and navigate her way to his side to kiss his cheek and say good morning before rushing off to prepare breakfast. After everyone eats, she and Donnie would hide away in the lab to work on the next batch of retro-mutagen and change her bandages until the boy’s afternoon training, which Y/n was forced to watch from the side lines due to everyone being far too concerned about her healing burns. 

            When training ended Y/n would make dinner while Leo sat in the kitchen tossing out some ideas on how to rescue Karai for y/n to mull over. Once everyone ate, the boys would head out for patrol, Leonardo rushing past Y/n to kiss her head and promise to be home soon on his way. Y/n and splinter would then spend the afternoon together, usually meditating (or attempting to in Y/n’s case) or simply enjoying each other’s presence as they both read or watched a movie. When the boys get back Y/n sprints to the shower to try and beat the brothers. Once she’s clean she’d wander back to the bedroom where Leo would be waiting and once again planning. Leo then helped her put on a fresh set of bandages and the pair climbed into bed.

            Y/n couldn’t help but giggle to herself while brushing her hair one night while waiting for the boys to come home from their nightly patrol / Karai search. The memory of Leonardo’s face the first night he helped her was just too cute to forget. Then again, she’s certain that she didn’t help his flustered response. After all, the only warning she got was, “Thank you for helping me with this” before Y/n tugged on a pair of shorts then dropped her towel. In a flash Leonardo went from staring at the woman he liked in a towel (already a bit flustered but able to fight any too dramatic of a reaction) to seeing her staring at him expectantly bare breast on full display.

            “Oh!” Was all he managed to say as his face turned a few shades darker.

            Y/n couldn’t help but laugh as she fought through a wince to wrap her arm around her torso to cover her chest in an attempt to ease his nerves. “Sorry! That was pretty sudden huh.” 

            The turtle managed his own burst of nervous laughter as his eyes quickly locked on the dresser beside them. “A little bit, but uh, I guess it is necessary. You do need shoulder and back treatment. It would be hard to do that if you were um…covered.” 

            “True. So, I'm gonna move my arms and you're gonna be ok?” Y/n asked though a giggle, and Leonardo nodded. 

            Carefully she lowered her arms and watched as Leo stole a quick glance at her breaths before turning around to grant he burn creme and new bandages. In a flash he was behind her, focusing solely on his task until she was properly wrapped up, and back in a shirt. The turtle even went as far as to stay directly behind her until Y/n’s shirt was fully replaced. 

            Y/n laughed fondly at the memory before setting down her hairbrush Francoeur is doing pretty well focusing on ninja work while also giving me attention, she thought to herself If this is how he’s gonna balance it then maybe some kind of relationship could be in the cards for us. The thought made her smile, but she didn’t have long to dwell on it, since soon she was called to the living room by Mikey 

            He had started doing this the second Donnie and Leo placed her essentially on house arrest to recover. The youngest turtle said it was his way of giving her a taste of the world. The late-night chats were definitely sweet, but ultimately just made her feel even more left out than before. Even so, it was the thought that counted, so she sat on the couch to grin and bear it. That's what she expected this night as well, but instead when she entered the living space she froze. The boys all looked rough and were covered in black smudges as if they were caught in some kinda fire or explosion. 

            Instantly she was in nurse mode going from turtle to turtle, cleaning them up and treating the luckily small injuries they sustained. As she worked the boys explained that it was an exception that went off when shredder traded them a bomb version of Karai for his helmet. A helmet they stumbled on, on accident. While cleaning the last of the ash off Leonardo’s face, Raphael groaned.

            “This wouldn’t have happened if you would have just dropped this whole Karai thing.” The red clad turtle argued.

            “Raphael, she’s our sister. We should be helping her.” 

            “She was raised by Shredder, there is a high chance that she’s still just pulling another fast one on us.” “What do you think, Mockingbird, you were friends with her for a while right.”

            Y/n huffed when she was addressed but gave the same rehearsed answer she always gave when it came to their estranged sister. “You both know my thoughts on Karai.”

            No more, no less. Y/n then stood and kissed Leonardo’s cheek on her way out. The next mission was one that Y/n was happy to miss since it involved the Kranng. Those bubblegum looking things still made the girl uncomfortable, so she was glad to be as far away as possible. Still, she managed to get tangled up with them for a few brief moments when Raphael was brought back to the lair in chains with his brothers shouting that he was actually a Kranng possessing Raphael’s body. The situation itself was kind of amusing, up until the alien said something that made Y/n tense.

            “The one known as Miss L/n is with you. The one known as Miss L/n is supposed to be on homeland base with the one known as Dr. L/n doing research for the krang.” Everyone froze at his words.

            “...with Dr. L/n?” Y/n managed to ask the others, but before she could get an answer they had to rush away dragging the krang with them.

            God, more questions, y/n groaned as she watched them leave. But she didn't have time to search for answers. She was plugging into the mission trying to give instructions on how to get to the Kranng facility until the mission was complete and everyone came home. 

            That led them to now. After a few more weeks of planning, she and Leo had finally managed to come up with a plan that just might work. As a bonus, Y/n was finally in good enough condition to join in, and the extra set of hands would certainly be helpful. So silently she sat along with the brothers as Leonardo recited the plan and used little figurines to show exactly what needs to be done.

            “This is the only way it can work, Raph.” Leo stressed as the first of the complains started to fly in

            “Look I'm on board for the whole saving Karai thing but if we’re going through the trouble of invading Shredder’s lair, we gotta take him down once and for all.”  Raphael argued only to be cut off by his oldest brother.

            “It’s too risky.”

            “Hold up dudes, why do I have to be the bait while Donnie sits in the shell raiser.” Mikey asked.

            Donatello shrugged at the question. “Someone has to be the getaway driver.”

            “And you couldn’t pay me to drive that death trap.” Y/n added in causing her lab partner to turn to her with dramatized offense.

            “Hey! Respect the baby.”

            Groaning Leonardo shouted over the team “Look! Everyone is important here.”

            “Disagreement about a mission is never a good way to begin.” Master splinter suddenly cut in causing everyone to look at him. “Leonardo, may I speak with you?” 

            The turtle in blue was quick to obey leaving the others to discuss the plan on their own. In the end, Master Splinter disapproved of the plan, but Leonardo was determined that they go through with it. Luckily for him, his team eagerly agreed and that night the piled in the shell raiser ready for a fight. The drive there was silent, everyone thinking of their own tasks. Leo’s eyes locked on the road, Donnie was mapping out escape routes, Raph was pacing. Meanwhile, Mikey and y/n were sitting with each other simply fidgeting. 

            Michelangelo was continuing to wrap and unwrap his wrists no doubt trying to distract from the fact that he was about to spend the night running from some of their strongest enemies on their own. To his left, Y/n was fixing just about every part of her outfit that she could. She pulled up her leggings, retied her sneakers, adjusted the draw sting on her hoodie, she even started to pull on and off her China Rose face mask that Leo had gifted her before they left.

            “This is a big one, Finch, I think it’s time you matched the family.” Leonardo said with a smile as he handed her what looked like a pink scarf that perfectly matched the bindings of her kunai. “It’ll cover your mouth and nose rather than your eyes; I thought it might be easier with your hair.”

            The memory of his sheepish smile as he passed it off to her, that only grew into a look of pride and awe when Y/n pulled it on and into place. Smiling to herself, Y/n stopped her fidgeting just long enough to do the same again. Gripping at the thin knitted fabric with her forefinger and thumb, she pulled it over her nose. There was a bit of comfort that came from her obscured appearance. Up until now everyone had been able to see who she was without issue. This would fix that. This plus her hood, hid who she was well enough. There would be no more moments like the one in the club, where David knew who she was instantly. No more villains pinning her up against the wall and pointing her out as Shredder’s old performer. 

            She wondered if Leo knew just how much his gift provided her with. There wasn’t much time to wonder however, since suddenly the van came to a stop in an alleyway not far from Shredder’s lair. Silently Leonardo and Donatello traded places and the leader went to the door.

            “Mikey, stay safe and run fast. Raph and I will do our best to be in and out.” he spoke with unmatched authority, truly cementing his palace as leader, even as his gaze landed on Y/n and softened. “Finch, make sure you are continuously listening in. The trackers on me and Mikey are already linked. You need to not hesitate and use your best judgment. We won’t be able to prompt you as to when it's time to intervene.”

            “Hai, Sensei.” Y/n replied with a nod. 

            Everyone glanced at her for a passing moment. They knew her calling Leonardo Sensei was reserved for training. Her use of it in this moment meant that she was taking it as seriously as she did her training. There wasn’t any sort of doubt that she was anything less than ready for this. Raph and Mikey quickly left the car without another word. Leo went to follow the others but not before taking a few steps towards Y/n. With a smile he reached out to the girl and cupped her cheek, dragging this thumb across her cheekbone gingerly.

            “Go on,” Y/n whispered as she leaned into his touch. “Go get Karai.”

            “We’ll be back soon.” With that he left, shutting the door behind him.

            “Stay safe,” Y/n whispered to no one in particular before wandering to Donnie’s side where she laid in wait, hoping that she wouldn’t hear anything over the coms that would force her to act. 

            For the first half of their mission, it seemed her prayers had been answered, but then  they heard it, almost simultaneously, both she and Donnie were called to attention. There was a pained cry for Mikey followed by an urgent call from Leo.

            “Donnie, we could use the calvary.” The eldest turtle shouted through the speaker and soon another cry came from the youngest.

            Y/n was quick to her feet, adjusting her mask as she rushed to the van doors. “You help the others; I’m heading to Mikey.”

            “Heard.” Donnie called back as he focused on configuring the shell raiser’s newly installed dog whistle.

            Rushing down the streets, Y/n glanced at her T-phone, hurrying towards the  blinking orange dot while continuing to listen into Mikey’s struggle. When she arrived at the building she look-upped up just in time to see milky being thrown from the rooftop. A gasp rushed past her lips as she watched the turtle throw out his chain, just narrowly catching himself before he would have crashed into the concrete. Pushing on, she ran to his side and wrapped a supportive arm around his waist, whispering encouragement for him to let go.

            At the sound of her voice, Mikey opened his eyes and saw how close to the ground he now was. Instantly he jumped down and wrapped his arm around Y/n’s shoulders for support. “Good timing Nightingale!”

            “Nightingale?” Y/n asked as she started to run down the alley, all but dragging the injured turtle along with her.

            “Yeah, everyone else gave you some bird nickname, I wanted to join in.” 

Y/n rolled her eyes, but still smiled. “You all are so weird.”

            Mikey managed a light, but it quickly cut off with a wince. “Sorry, they got my arm good.” 

            “Don’t worry, we’ll get to Donnie soon, then you can relax.” Y/n eased while pulling him  around the corner. 

            As they made the turn, the main rescue team did the same for an alley two blocks down. Within seconds the teams’ caught each other's attention, and swiftly started towards each other.

            “Mikey!” Raphael called out as he ran to their side.

            “I’m good it’s not my water balloon throwing arm.” Mikey said with a wince as she rebalanced himself against Y/n.

            Raphael’s lips pulled to the side out of sympathy before he ducked under his other arm, pulling his weight off of Y/n’s shoulders. “I’ll take him, Mockingbird,” 

            She lowered her mask and smiled sweetly at him, then looked past the turtles to their older brother, extending the expression to him as well. “I’m glad to see you two made it out in one piece.” 

            Leonardo smiled in acknowledgement of her words before stepping back as if to show Y/n that they had succeeded, after all Karai was standing behind him urgently trying to catch her breath. When Y/n saw the other woman, her smile fell and the warmth from her eyes fell. She knew that Karai being here meant that the mission was a success, but that didn’t mean she had to be happy with the fact that the woman would no doubt be living with them as well. 

            Her irritated thought spiral was cut short when a footbot suddenly landed in front of the group. Y/n’s eyes widened as she turned, watching as more and more ninja surrounded them. In a single move she replaced her mouth and drew a kunai while the rest of her team performed similar actions. Preparing for a fight, they watched anxiously as Tigerclaw himself appeared, and drew his guns. 

            They were about to act when the tiger mutant suddenly crumbled to the ground, covering his ears. Not a moment later, a group of the Footbots were crushed by the Shellraiser, which recklessly sped down the road, stopping in front for the Hamato clan members. In stunned silence they watched as the doors slid open, becoming them inside. That was the only invitation they needed. Instantly, Raph Leo Mikey to the van and helped him in. Y/n was close behind, finding her way to the side wall where she knew she could get a secure grip.

            Soon Leo pulled Karai into the shell raiser and hurried to trade places with Donnie as everyone took their seats. Karai secured herself between Raph and Donnie, holding on to their seats tightly as the van rushed off down the streets. Without a screen, Y/n couldn’t see who was jumping onto their vehicle nor who was following them, but she assumed it must be bad since she had already been knocked against the wall more times than she could count. Glancing towards Raphael she was able to make out the silhouettes of three motorcycles hot on their tai. The turtle in red, quickly locked onto the bikes and prepared to fire a manhole cover their way, only for the screen to buzz at him angrily.

            “Ok who forgot to load the manhole covers?” Raphael barked as the sensor continued to scream at him.

            No one responded, instead Mikey pointed an accusatory finger towards Donnie while the purple turtle groaned. Not having any more time to complain, Raphael switched weapons and began to launch balls of compressed garbage in the direction of their attackers. None of them hit the target, but they did slow them slightly. Even so, Karai seemed less than impressed

            “That’s all you got. Balls of trash.” she complained.

            Y/n scoffed from her wall of the van. “Are you really judging our rescue when we just saved your life?” 

            “This baby’s still got a few tricks in her.” Donnie cut in, partially to keep a full blow argument from breaking out and partially because she finally managed to make it to the defensive page of his own menu. 

            Donatello started by deploying a smoke screen before releasing a trail of pizza grease behind them. The van then made a sharp turn, rushing down a new block of the city. From outside, crashes could be heard, and the team took a collective sigh of relief. That must have been the bikes, they told themselves, and with those three out of commission, they were safe to head home. Mission successful. 

            “Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh.” Leonardo said with a chuckle.

            Before anyone could respond however, a sword was suddenly thrust down into the shell raiser, cutting only an inch away from Karai’s nose. The placement was just so and broke the latch keeping the ceiling cover closed. Suddenly an orange paw reached in through the open and grabbed Karai by the back of the shirt. The woman was then pulled out of the van, and to everyone's shock and surprise, it was Y/n who managed to rush to the side and jump up to the roof, just in time for Tigerclaw to close the hatch once more. 

            Quickly Karai helped Y/n to her feet, and the girls drew their weapons. There was no time to hesitate before Tigerclaw began his assault. Together they were forced to dodge shots from his blasters while simultaneously attempting to keep their balance. When they finally got close enough to make contact, however, Tigerclaw switched weapons, drawing his giant sword once again, and swinging it towards Karai’s head like an executioner. 

            With wide eyes, Y/n trend and intercepted the blade. Unfortunately, her first instinct was to grab it with her hands. She managed to stop the blade but not before feeling it slice deep into her palms. Y/n cried out in pain but didn't let go. That was until Tiger claw grabbed her and threw her off the front of the van. Luckily, the boys were prepared from the inside, and released the net just in time to catch her. 

            She landed with a bounce and not long after Karai was beside her. The pair exchanged a quick glance before looking back towards the roof, just in time to see Tiger claw get thrown off as the shell raiser drove below and low arch way. The woman sighed in relief before lifting themselves so they could climb back to the roof and reenter the shell raiser through the upper hatch. 

            Y/n jumped in front, being caught by Raphael and quickly set to the side so he could do the same for Karai. The dark-haired woman fell to her knees while Y/n dared to look down at her palms. She winced at the sight, they were bleeding something fierce, and with the fading of adrenaline, the pain was quickly setting in. She didn't have time to worry about the condition of her hands however, since Karai had finally found her voice and began to speak.

            “Guys… I.”

            “I know.” Leo cut her off. “You're not good at saying thank you.”

            Karai smiles at him and y/n rolls her eyes, a new irritation adding to the already stockpiled amounts she felt towards Karai. Leaning towards Donnie she whispered to him, “She could still try.”

            Karai overheard the other woman’s comment and quickly looked over to them, prepared to defend herself, and start the well-rehearsed apology she had been preparing while locked away.  Before she could, however, something caught Karai’s eye. A drop of blood falling from Y/n’s hand and landing on the floor of the shell raiser between them. All other words were closed, and she shouted her concern.

            “Oh my god, Songbird, you're bleeding.” 

            “Yeah, that happens when you catch a sword to stop someone from getting decapitated.” Y/n sassed back, unfolding her hands in Donnie’s direction, knowing that her lab partner was going to want to see the damage. 

            Donnie stepped up, and started to look her palms over, while Leonardo’s nervous voice trailed back to them from the driver’s seat. “Is she ok? Do you need me to pull over so you can work better? Finch are you…”

            “I’m fine Francoeur.” Y/n replied.

            “I might be able to bypass stitches, but these are still pretty deep.” Donatello assessed before reaching into a nearby compartment for a rag, that he then pressed on her wounds to try and slow the bleeding. “They’ll definitely scar.”

            Y/n winced at first, but it soon turned into a groan as she realized what his words meant. “That means I’m benched again huh.”

            “For about a month most likely, yeah.” the turtle replied sheepishly, clearly feeling badly about the fact that Y/n would be homebound once again.

            “Fan-fucking-tastic.” she groaned while throwing her head back in defeat. “I’m going to back track so much in my training.”

            From the front of the van Leo glanced at Y/n though the review, mind rushing to a comment that might work as a temporary fix to her mood. “We could always work on your spiritual growth.”

            That caught her attention, and in a flash the girl was standing straight with their arms crossed and lips pulled into a smirk. “Aren’t you banned from teaching me to meditate?”

            “Only in the dojo.” he replied, his own smirk forming.

            “I feel like there is a story behind that.” Karai pipes in, eyes darting between the pair.

            “There is,” Donnie looked down at Y/n teasingly.

            Raph then smirks. “We just can’t tell it in front of Mikey.”

***

            Upon arriving home, the majority of the team made their way to the living room while Leo started to give Karai the grand tour of the lair. After getting Mikey settled, Donnie rushed off for the first aid kit, which Raphael carefully led Y/n to sit beside his younger brother, using his much larger hands to cup hers as a secondary defense against her blood falling from the pool that had formed in her palms during the duration of their trip back home. Once she was seated he hesitantly released his grip and hurried to the kitchen , returning with a bowl that he set below her hands. Raph then reached out and slowly guided Y/n to separate her hands and tilt them just so, so that all the blood would be caught. 

            When Donnie returned he set the first aid kit on the ground between him and Raph, before starting to treat Mikey’s arm. Raphael also got to work, digging though for disinfectants and bandages.  The whole process was painful but necessary. Through it all, she was silently thankful that Raphael did have a tender side, and that side of him was currently playing nurse.

            “It’s actually not bad.” Karai’s voice echoes through the corridor, letting them all know that she hands Leo had returned from the touch. .

            “It’s awesome right!” Mikey pipped in. “This calls for a family hug, bring it in.”

            “No way in hell,” Y/n mutters before reaching up with her freshly wrapped hand to push on Mikey’s band aid making him wince.

            As if the pained sound from this son summoned him, Master Splinter suddenly entered the living area. “Michelangelo, what happened?” 

            “It’s just a scratch sensei, you should see the other guy.” The youngest turtle replied with a smile.

            “And Y/n, your hands.” the rat demanded

            “Um…” She trailed off, she didn’t exactly have a good explanation. After all, I recklessly caught a sword with my bare hands, was definitely wrong. 

            “What have you children done?” He demanded. “I thought I told you… Mwah.”

            Their sensei froze in shock when he saw his daughter. Slowly Karai made her way to his side, and without hesitation she hugged Master Splinter “Father.” 

            “See Sensei, I told you my plan would work.” Leonardo said from the side, a fond smile forming on his cheeks from the scene.

            “Perhaps some things are worth the risk.” Their father conceded. 

            Everyone waited in silence as the father-daughter pair enjoyed their reunion, but once Y/n’s hands were both treated she felt the need to interrupt. “Alright, if you’ll excuse me I'll get a start on dinner.”

            “Like hell you will, you are down two hands.” Leo counters.

            “Since when do I listen to you, Francoeur?” 

            He then grabs her jaw and makes him look at her. “Am I going to have to punish you?”

            “Leonardo, that is enough.” Splinter interrupts. “Though, he does have a point. You should not be cooking with such injuries.”

            “So, you're gonna let Mikey do it?” Y/n asked, an eyebrow raised as she waved a hand in the youngest brother’s direction. 

            To her surprise, splinter physically winced at the thought. “We will, order in.”

            “I’ll get my card and head towards the drop point.” Y/n smiled at the patriarch before turning to her side. Her smile grew a bit more menacing as she reached up and grabbed Leo by the shell. She pulled him down to her level with a quick tug then kissed his cheek before speaking. “We’ll get back to this later.”

            Y/n then released the turtle and sent a side eye glance towards Karai before leaving the common area. Pride flowed through her as she walked away thinking to herself, he may finish your sentences, but he belongs to me. Without thinking, her normal steps turned into a bit of a strut. She felt like she won somehow and chose rather than over thinking the feeling she would revel in it. 

            Y/n was high on the feeling for the rest of the night, though dinner and showers, all the way until Leonardo finally made his way to the room as well and started the methodical process of removing his gear piece by piece. When he finished, Y/n stepped to the side, allowing the turtle to climb in before her. He settled himself in, and Y/n quickly climbed onto the bed to join him, though rather than stopping at his side and leaning against him as she usually would, y/n found herself basically crawling on top of the turtle. 

            Her leg was draped over his hips, the other leg pressed flat against his side. Y/n arm stretched all the way across his chest, and she nuzzled her nose against the crook of her neck. As she sorted herself out, Leonardo waited curiously. His arm hesitantly hooked around her form, holding her close, while the other reached out to lightly caress her shoulder. What really threw him over the edge, however, was when Y/n started to hum. It was a low tone that rattled in her throat. She was mimicking his chur. 

            He smiles constantly and nuzzles back. “Not that I don't love this, but what has got you so cuddly?”

            She hummed at the question and dragged her hand to his cheek. “I’m just happy.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Y/n replied. “Now that the rescue worked out, I no longer have to hear you talk about Karai every night.”

            Leonardo couldn’t stop to chuckle that escaped him. “I was a bit obsessive huh.”

            “A bit.” She teases, her fingers tapping at his cheek bone as she looks up. “But it’s ok. You know why?”

            Shifting, Leo leaned into her tapping, his own hand rising to her cheek to mimic the action. “Why.”

            She wiggled herself up a bit so that she could kiss his jaw, lips lingering a few seconds longer than intended. “Because you're mine. And we both know it.”

            “Were you getting jealous?” He teases, though his voice is a husky whisper as she kisses his neck again.

            “Of course not,” she replied, eyes rolling as she bit down on his neck, adding just enough pressure for his breath to catch. Y/n then kissed where her teeth were and settled back against him whispering, “mine.”

            Leonardo turned his head to look at her only to see Y/n smirking cheekily when closing her eyes. She’s really going to sleep?, the thought then groaned. “Two things!” he started a bit louder than intended. “One, that was mean. Starting something, you don’t plan on finishing.”

            Y/n giggled at that. “It’s bedtime Francoeur, you have training early tomorrow morning and I have to supervise Mikey in the kitchen.

            He covered her mouth with his hand then rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed with her response. “Secondly. Was that your move?”

            There was silence at first before Y/n hummed. She hadn’t really thought about it, but she did promise that when she was ready, she would make the first move. Now the only question was, was she ready? Yes, she decided. “It was my sign that I would be ready to discuss things again.” 

            Leonard’s grip on her tightened as a large smile stretched across his lips. “Thank you.”

            “Sweet dream, Francoeur.”   

            The next day during training Y/n is instructed to sit and watch beside Karai. After all, she was in no condition to participate, and it was still Karai’s first day. So, though hesitantly, Y/n opened and took her place. They are silent throughout the entire session, even as they watch the boys pair off for one-on-one spars. The silence is only broken near the end of the training session.

             With eyes locked on Mikey and Leo’s duel, the girls watched as the younger turtles faked out his brother, only to hit him with a surprise water balloon. The girls couldn’t contain their giggles. When they heard the other laugh however, the pair exchanged a quick, surprised glance. Karai then offered Y/n a timid smile and Y/n returned it. She could be upset, the singer justified, but there was no need to be standoffish when an olive branch is extended.

           She hated to admit it, but she was happy to have Karai there, and that happiness pushed past the anger she felt. It certainly helped that Leo winked at her after he caught the interaction. As bratty and disobedient as she could be, Y/n did like making Leonardo happy. So, with a blush she waved him back to focus, and not a second later Leo jumped up, tackling Mikey to the ground.

            “Is this how training always goes?” Karai asks.

            “More or less,” Y/n giggles. “You get used to it, and after a while you learn who to avoid getting a face full of shell in the dog pile.” 

            The girls giggled again, this time while imagining such an event taking place. For those few moments, everything was at ease. The sense of calm remained even as Master Splinter called out above the chaos to end training the day, waiting patiently for the turtle to line up on either side of the girls to speak.

            “My sons, and daughters. That is enough for today.” Said with a nod, encouraging his pupils to all disperse. 

            As he walked by, Leonardo reached out and helped Y/n stand. When she got to her feet, the turtle carefully caressed the badges on her hands before lifting her palms to his lips, kissing them tenderly. Y/n couldn’t stop her smile as she appreciated the attention.  Leo winked at her, place moving to rest between her shoulder blades, but before they could leave he called over his shoulder.

            “Karai are you coming?” Leo asks

            “In a minute.” Karai replied almost instantly. 

            The turtle nodded at his sister’s words before looking back at Y/n. “That gives us some time to go talk.”

            The pair then left the dojo, and wandered towards one of the few other areas in the lair that they thought would be empty. The lab. When they entered, Y/n shut the door behind them before walking towards her desk, pulling out her chair for Leo, and jumping up to sit on the desk herself. Leonardo sat down, in front of her, reaching out just enough to caress her ankle. 

            “Okay, so yesterday was your move.” The turtle started. “Does that mean you're ready to try this? To try us?”

            Y/n smiled down at him and nodded. “I think I am. I’ve thought about it a lot, and this currently balancing act of yours showed me that this could work without causing any serious issues as far as the team goes. Besides, I’d be lying if I said I didn't get any sort of comfort from your presence. Hell! After every mission all I want to do is curl up with you in bed, our bed, and just be with you. I’m ready to do this, and I really want to be yours, Leonardo.”

            Racing from his chair, the turtle approached, a smile spread on his cheeks. “And I want to be yours.” 

            Y/n’s smile could not have been any bigger and she reached out for Leonardo herself. Gripping the upper lip of his shell she pulled him forwards until their lips finally met. The warmth that radiated from their kiss helped her ignore the shooting pain in her hands. She didn’t realize that this was a feeling she missed until now. It was better than it was that bay in the dojo, better than their final kiss before they agreed to take some time. This kiss marked a beginning.

            Fueled by the overwhelming devotion he felt for his songbird, Leonardo deepened their embrace. One hand found purchase securely on her waist while the other took a moment to guide Y/n’s arms to drape across his shoulders. He felt her pull his body closer and smiled against her lips. Leonardo felt wanted, as if here, alone with Y/n was right where he belonged. Nothing could make him move, not even when he thought he heard the lab doors open from behind them.

            “Ugh! Leo! Can you not eat my best friend's face on top of our research?!” Someone apparently did enter, and apparently it was Donnie. 

            “Best friend?” Leo asks as soon as they separated looking into Y/n’s eyes, apparently he was more concerned about losing his precious friendship ranking than he was about being caught lip locked by his brother. “I thought I was your best friend.”

            “Best friends don’t make out in labs, Francoeur.” Y/n teases.

            “Besides, the position opened after the first time you two got caught making out, so I took it.” Donnie replied smugly before the smirk dropped to a look of irritation. “But seriously no making out in here.”

            “Yeah yeah,” Leo laughs, as he helps Y/n down from the table. “Let's go watch a movie or something.”

            She nods eagerly before moving to lead Leonardo out of the lab, only kind of surprised when she felt the turtle’s hand graze her ass as she moved.

***

            The rest of the day, and into the night went by smoothly. The team opted to ixnay patrol, leaving it to Casey and April for the evening so that Mikey and Y/n could recover, and so Karai had some time to settle in. The newest addition to their household he'd spend most of the day with her father, occasionally showing face to watch some television with the boys to watch with a smile as Y/n kindly (more like threatening with a smile) leads Mikey through the instructions to make dinner for the family. 

            All and all, it was a nice, relaxing day. By the time eleven pm came along, Y/n and Leo had found themselves comfortably cuddled together on the corner of the couch, both slowly teetering on the edge of sleep. After the third time of her head lulling forwards however, the singer decided it was best to actually make her way to their room. 

            Standing, she stretched out her arms before heading towards the bedroom, and calling over her shoulder towards the turtle who was also slowly rising to his feet. “Leo are you coming?”

            “Yeah, I'll be there in a minute.” The turtle replies. “Just gonna check on Karai, make sure she’s settled.”

            Y/n froze in place as her lips pulled to the side. There was an uncomfortable bubbling in her stomach when she thought about the fact that rather than following her to bed, Leo was choosing to check in on Karai. Didn’t they just establish that they liked each other and wanted to try them. That would mean he’d go with her right? 

            Shaking her head, she tried to delay the inevitable over-thinking spiral she was about to go on by waking up to the turtle and touching his chest with her fingertips, tracing over a litany of scrapes that reside on his hard plastron. “Mine?”

            To her surprise, Leonardo smirked at the question. His hand moving to wrap around hers. “Jealous?”

            Nope. She didn’t like that response. So, Y/n rolled her eyes, turned around and prepared to walk away. “Going to bed.”

            Chuckling, Leo stretched forward, catching her arm and pulling her close. He turned Y/n back to face him and lifted his hand to tap her cheek lightly. “Yours.” He cooed in a tone so sweet that Y/n all but melted against his touch, getting listed in the steady tempo of his fingertips. 

            “Hey! No cheek taping! We know where that leads! Not while we are all home!” Raph’s voice suddenly echoed, making the pair straighten and whip their heads towards the exhausted looking red turtle.

            When he had their attention Raphael nodded then stomped away, leaving Y/n to tilt her head in confusion as she looked back towards Leo. “What the hell is he on about?”

            “Don’t worry about it,” Leo says, though the scales of his cheeks were getting a bit darker. Still, he leaned forward and placed a chase kiss on Y/n’s lips. “Just head to bed, I’ll be back in a minute.”

            Hesitantly Y/n obeys and leaves the turtle alone. Going to their room, she quickly changed then laid in wait in their bed. First for five minutes, then ten, then thirty… After an hour she got really concerned. Maybe he and Karai were just talking or something, but still. Y/n decided she should probably go check. So, with newfound determination, she rolled out of bed, pulled on some fuzzy socks and walked back towards the living room.

            She did a quick scan of the room before her heart jumped. Crumpled on the ground near the turnstiles was one of the boys. Instantly, she felt that any and all concern she felt was justified. Rushing to her side, she looked to see who it was only for her heart rate to increase. It was Leo. Falling to her knees, Y/n began to shake the turtle.

            “Francoeur?” she tried, but he didn’t even stir. “Leo!”

            She shook him hard, continuing to shout his name until suddenly he sat up. His head whipped around anxiously before settling on Y/n. In a flash, he gripped her shoulders, eyes urgent. “Where’s Karai?”

            “Karai? Um sleeping I think?” Y/n asked, mind scrambling.

            “No…” Leo grumbles as he stumbles to his feet. “Guys! Sensei!”

            As soon as he called, the family rushed into the living room towards them. They didn’t look rattled awake, making Y/n think that her own screaming must have alerted them a few moments before. Now as they surrounded the pair, who both looked confused and a bit worse for wear in regard to anxiety levels, they prepared to demand for answers. 

            “Leonardo, what happened? Where is Karai?” Sensei asked, tone stern and dripping with worry.

            “She’s gonna take out shredder on her own.” Leonardo explained in a rush.

            “Is she insane?!” Y/n shouted in confusion, trying to figure out why Karai would do something so reckless.

            “I was a fool.” Their master sighed.  “I fear I told her too much too quickly.”

            “We have to stop her!” Leo demanded.

            Nodding to his brother Donnie straightened his posture. “We can catch up with her in the shell raiser.”  

            “I’m coming too!” Y/n announced as the group started to move towards the vehicle.

            Before she got too far though, Leonardo stopped her. “Finch your hurt, stay here.”

            “No.” 

            “You have no weapons on you.” He argued.

            “I have spares in the car.” 

            “You have no shoes.” he tried again, but this time she rushed to the turnstiles and picked up her spare pair of sneakers, nullifying his words. “You're in your pajamas.”

            “And you're wasting time, let's go.” Raphael cut in, going as far as to grab Y/n’s arm and drag the girl along with them to the Shellraiser. 

            Almost recklessly the family piled into the van. Each boy went to their designated seat while Y/n stood behind Donnie clinging to his chair, and Master Splinter stood securely behind Leonardo. The turtle in blue gave only a second's glance over his shoulder before shifting into gear and slamming down on the accelerator, sending the team speeding out of the sewers and onto the streets.

            The ride to shredder’s lair felt eerily familiar, having been taken only a day prior. Once again, everyone was anxious to save Karai, only now they feared that she would be in much more danger. After all, this time, the shredder would be angry, and Karai would be entering ready for a fight. No stealth, no breakout, no chance of avoiding a fight. 

            When they finally arrived outside of the god forsaken building the Hamato clan quickly learned that they were too late. As they rounded the corner, they saw Karai being dragged out of the building and thrown into a car of shredder’s own. The vehicle then started down the street, faster than any of them could have reacted.

            “They got Karai,” Y/n pointed out the moment she saw the other woman..

            “We're too late.” Leo cuts in “Raph, fire up the weapons.”

            “No, it’s too dangerous.” Master Splinter argued before giving a counter command. “Follow close, but don’t let them spot us.” 

            Leonardo nodded at his father's instructions and skillfully obeyed staying at least three blocks back from the shredder’s car at all times to make sure that they could remain undetected. When they arrived they all took a moment to regroup. Y/n carefully put on her shoes and grabbed her back up kunai strapping them to her thigh before turning to Donnie to get a second layer of bandages on her hands. Once she was sorted, Leonardo turned his back to her and crouched down, instructing her to climb on. She obeyed before holding on for dear life as Master sprinter, Leonardo, and the rest of the time began to climb the side of the warehouse they followed Shredder and his goons to.

            They made record time, scaling the building and sneaking onto the rafters through a cracked window. Silently they laid in wait, eyeing the area with suspicion. They found Karai, being chained to some sort of cage and lifted above a large vat of mutagen. That had to be their goal. Get to Karai and save her. For now, they simply wanted it to be time to make their presence known. This came sooner than expected however, since without warning Tiger claw turned and fired a flare gun in their direction illuminated their silhouettes. The time to fight is now. 

            The boys along with Master splinter jumped from their hiding place and drew their weapons. Leonardo kept his grip on Y/n until they landed, then allowed her to slip off. The pair stood silently with their respective blades in hand and waited. 

            “Welcome my old friend.” The Shredder taunted Master splinter.

            The rat sneered at him. “Let my daughter go.”

            “You are welcome to rescue her, if you can.”  

            Just then, foot bots began to emerge from various hiding spots around the warehouse. They crept in at an eerily slow place, surrounding the team with their weapons drawn. Everyone was prepared, so as soon as Master Splinter lunged, they joined, full force into the fight. Y/n launched a Kunai at one of the bot’s heads while rushing another, using a secondary blade to stab it in the chest as she jumped it. 

            The singer rose the bot to the ground, landing with enough momentum that she rolled forward. Reaching to her thigh she threw her third dagger while moving back, only to be suddenly thrown off balance. She had backed into another bot. She gripped her from under her arms and no matter how much she flailed, Y/n couldn’t break free. This didn’t deter her, the girl continued to thrash around until a second body approached and caught her right leg holding it still in a painfully light grip. A third bot approached, adding another arm around her center to still her as its free hand covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming out.

            Frantically she looked around, hoping to see one of the turtles rushing her way.
Instead, her heart dropped. All four boys had been caught in low metal cages, and Master Splinter himself was being restrained by ropes. Leonardo, however, had landed on his back, his sword getting lodged in the top of his cage. Using this to his advantage, the leader broke out of his cage. Wasting no time, Leo continued with the mission, cutting a chain and using the momentum to launch to the top of Karai’s cage. Moments before he could free her, however, the Shredder appeared. Jumping over the vat, with clear intentions of shoving the turtle into the mutagen below.

            When the shredder missed Leo, the man still cut Karai’s chain causing her and the cage to free fall into the mutagen below. Master Splinter cried out for his daughter, and Y/n attempted to do the same. But there was nothing they could do. Karai was submerged in the radioactive chemical, no doubt suffering the mutative effects. 

            A painfully long minute passed before a weakened serpent mutant emerged from the vat, lifting herself onto the edge before slipping and falling to the platform below. Driven by his pain, Master Splinter broke free from the ropes and ran to his child, catching her mutated from and holding her close. 

            Suddenly Karai awoke, and broke free of her father’s grasp before slithering away, attaching everything in her way. As she rampaged, Leonardo rushed to Y/n’s side, swiftly destroying the bots holding her before instructing her to collect her  knives. Y/n obeyed, while glazing over her shoulder watching as Leo freed Donatello before the pair hurried to their other brothers, breaking open their cages as well. As she bends down to tear her final kunai from the head of a foot boat, Y/n became distinctly aware that she was standing close to a slipping canister of oil. Scanning the area, her eyes widened the second they caught glimpse of a spark that soon ignited the oil, and subsequently the entire warehouse. 

            She yelped as fire erupted around her then turned, frantically trying to find her team. Soon enough she caught a glimpse of Donatello and ran to his side. When she arrived, the first bits of debris began to fall, shaking the building. This warehouse was far too old to withstand a fire of this caliber. The pair of scientists looked around for their family and hurried to regroup. 

            “Mutagen is highly flammable, that thing is a giant bomb.” Y/n warned as she took another step back away from the fire. 

            “We gotta get out of here.” Donnie agreed, grabbing Y/n’s waist just in time to pull them both out of the way of falling debris

            “Not without Karai.” Leonardo argued. 

            “Karai, you must listen to me!” Master Splinter attempted to reason with his daughter. “We must go!”

            Karai turned around and stared at the group before jumping down from her perch and slithering towards them. Once close enough she coiled her serpent body around Master Splinter and squeezed. See hissed menacingly and looked only a second away from attacking.

            “Daughter please.” He begged from within her grip.

            Suddenly, Karai froze, leaning her head closer to inspect Master Splinter more closely. “Father?”

            She had a visible moment of realization before she relaxed the rat and hurried away. Before she departed however, Karai turned towards the turtles and spit venom directly into Raphael’s eye. The turtle in reach shouted in pain, providing Karai with the direction she needed to flee.

            “Wait!” Leo called after her, as he made chase. 

            The rest were quick to follow, Donnie and Y/n taking a moment to haul Raph onto their shoulders, before hurting outside and up a nearby fire escape to stand on the roof. Rain poured down around them as Mikey and Leo began to scan the area for Karai. Meanwhile, Donnie, Raph, and Y/n sat together nearby and began treating Raphael’s injury.

            “Easy Raph,” Donnie coaxed as she continued to squirt water into his brother’s eye, rinsing any of the remaining venom out of it.

            “Enough, I can see fine now.” The turtle in red insisted as he batted at his brother’s arm.

            Unconceived Y/n pushed past Donatello and crouched eye level with Raphael. Raising her pointer finger, she tapped the end of his snout before drawing back a few inches. “Quick test, follow my finger.”

            “Stop it, Mockingbird,” Raph groaned, snatching her waving finger to make her stop. “I said I'm fine.”

            Giving up on his search, Leonardo jumped down. He spared only a second to check on Raphael before he walked towards his father. The turtle stopped a few feet away, being sure to give the man space as he hung his head in shame.

            “This is all my fault.” Leonardo spoke, voice ladened with shame. “I should have stopped her when I had the chance. I‘m sorry, sensei.”

            His father was silent for a moment, almost as if pondering his son’s words, before he sighed. “We should go home. My children.” 

            Hesitantly everyone followed, and Michealangelo stepped up to ask one of the many questions that hung painfully in the air. “You can make a retro-mutagen for Karai right.”

            “I don’t know Mikey, I hope so.” Donnie admitted before leading Mikey and Raph down the side of the building, following their father.

            Y/n lingered by Leo’s side. The rain picked up, soaking her pajamas and making her hair stick to her forehead. Her bandages were drenched and made a squelching sound when she moved her hand and pressed it against the turtle’s arm. Without looking at her, he lifted his own hand to grip hers, not trying to remove her touch, rather he held it there.  

            “It’ll take time, but we can fix this.” Y/n praised him. “Remember, Amadare ishi wo mo ugatsu.”

            Sadly, Leo looked at her but the only response he managed was a nod. Silently he squeezed her hand before turning and picking Y/n up in his arms. The turtle held her close to his body for a moment, silently enjoying the warmth and comfort she brought before turning towards the edge of the roof. Carefully he climbed down with Y/n in his grip and followed their family back to the Shellraiser. The ride home was tense as they all thought about the night's events and silently feared for their future.

Chapter Text

            “Okay Finch, we are heading out on patrol,” Leonardo said with a smile as he kissed the top of Y/n’s head. “Are you sure you don’t want to join us? Donnie says your hands are just about healed up.”

            “Yeah, I know but it still hurts to grip my Kunai,” Y/n replied as she looked away from the big book of formulas and various maths she and Donatello had been trying to put together recently. (If they could get everything to line up, they should be able to start turning this turtle mech of Donnie’s into something more than just a dreamy fan boy idea.) Her gaze landed on her hands, specifically the large, raised scar that stretched across her palms, positioned right where her hands creased. “I think some PT will help me out, but that will just take more time…” 

            She trailed off at her own words. Y/n wasn't quite sure when the idea of being benched stopped bothering her. It had been over a month since they had gone on the Karai mission, a month since the last time she had left the lair for anything other than a casual trip to the store or meet up with April and Casey. Her time has been spent cooking, cleaning, and working in the lab. When she wasn’t doing those things she’d be dragging Leo away to have a bit of alone time, which consisted mostly of him reporting back to her where the search for Karai stood, which was somewhere between the realms of minimal and no progress. 

            She was comfortable. It was the same kind of comfort she had back in her apartment, a comfort she hadn’t felt in a long time. The comfort that came from a boring consistent schedule. She’s carefully assigned each area of the lair a different day to be its clean day, and even made a meal plan for each week. Each day had at least two hours of lab time with Donnie, some having more, as well as an hour of training / meditation time. It was consistent. It was easy. It was… admittedly starting to freak out her housemates. 

            While they would admit that knowing exactly where Y/n would be at any given moment was comforting, at the same time, watching her go around like some kind of zombie was unnerving. It was like a robot on a track. Wake up, kitchen, eat while leaning on the counter, kiss Leo's cheek, go to the dojo. Mainly watch training, jump in when asked, stay after to meditate with Master splinter, appear an hour later and go back to the kitchen to cook. Eat lunch standing, kiss Leo goodbye, meet with April or Casey for something. Come back in two hours. Work with Donnie in the lab until dinner. In the kitchen again, this time making dinner, sometimes teaching Mikey, she actually sits down for this meal. Does the dishes, then goes to clean whichever room she was up to. Finishes cleaning, goes back to the lab. Leo comes to the lab to collect Donnie and kiss Y/n goodbye. When they come back from patrol, Y/n is in the living room, half-awake but freshly showered. She greets them all, gets debriefed about their trip out, heads to her room to wait for Leo.

            Every day, the exact. Same. Thing.  

            “I’ll see you when you all get back, Francoeur.” Y/n smiled before craning her neck just enough to press a kiss against the turtle’s cheek. “Good luck on your search.”

            Leonardo accepted the affection and prepared to leave, but not before sending a concerned glance her way. Now don’t get him wrong, he’s happy that she’s starting to develop a schedule, he knew how important her previous one was to her, but back at the apartments she never seemed so robotic. He was afraid that there was something else going on, something that she wasn’t telling him. Sure, they had only been officially together for a month now, but before that they were still close. She should feel comfortable speaking to him. So why wasn’t she? 

            The truth be told, there was something that was on her mind, and Y/n wasn’t saying anything, because even she thought of herself as crazy. Being trapped at home had given her time to think. To think and theorize. Flipping to the back of the journal she was writing in, Y/n looked at her header, where is Dad? No one knew she was on this hunt. Not Leo, not Donnie, not even Master Splinter. She couldn’t tell them. They’d all give her the same response just in different fonts. Her dad is dead. He has been dead for years. She’s dwelling on it too much, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling. 

            First her mother said that her father wasn't on the spiral plain, and instead should be with her still on earth. Red flag. Then the Kranng saying that Y/n was supposed to be working with Dr. (L/n) somewhere. Not like. Not in place of. With. Major Red Flag! 

            Her dad had to be somewhere; the singer was pretty sure that the Kranng knew where that somewhere was. Y/n had thrown herself headfirst into meditation under the guise of spiral healing so she could attempt to make contact with her mother again. She had only managed it one other time, and once again it was extremely brief. As she went out with Casey and April, Y/n would make a point to ask at least one Kranng related question to try and get as much information as possible. Thus far, she had come up with nothing but conspiracy theories and a painfully splintered timeline of events.

            Moving to New York was the catalyst. She was sixteen at the time, and even then she thought it was weird that only a week into their time in the city, her father was invited to work for TCRI on their research team. He worked there until he died two years later and was loyal to the company to the point that he donated his body to them. When he died, Y/n was in class. She came running but when she arrived at the hospital, the staff informed her that her father’s body had already been transported away. Thinking back, she had never actually seen him dead, only taken the staff’s word for it. After all, why would they lie?

            Next was her internship with TCRI. Offered to her in just as sketchy a way as her father’s job offers, then she was fired when the upper floors were exploded by the turtles…apparently. Not long after she started working for the Shredder and heard nothing from TCRI for a year. That's when everything went down with Leonardo coming into her life, and her subsequent uprooting. She learned that TCRI was run by aliens, the Kranng and started frequent interactions with them. Leonardo taught her to meditate, and she met with her mother who said her father wasn’t on the spirit plain and most likely, not dead. Then there was the Kranng in Raphael’s body making comments. 

            There was too much evidence that something was going on, but no evidence as to what exactly that something was, and it was driving her completely bonkers. She wanted answers. No. She needed owners, like YESTERDAY! So, stealing her focus Y/n tried to make sense, left right or backwards of what she had until it was time to move on to the next part of her schedule, a shower then waiting for the boys to return. 

***

            A few weeks went by, and Y/n was still going about her normal schedule, having just come home from a grocery run when the boys gathered together in the living room to watch some more of their favorite show. Super Robo Mecha Force. She had watched it growing up before the episodes got dubbed, but kinda grew out of it. Even so, the boys adored it, so much so that Donatello wanted to make them their own giant mech, that project currently taking all of their lab time, keeping the pair away from any Krang research much to Y/n’s dismay. 

            Even so, she knew her place in the lair lab. She was the assistant to the great Professor Donatello. So whatever project he wanted to do, they were doing. Today was no different, though it did surprise her. It was Rare that Donnie chose anything over S.R.M.F. time, so when she entered the lab and saw the tallest turtle there, progressively getting more and more frustrated.

            “Uh…Tello?” Y/n said as her greeting while approaching the angry turtle as if he was a scared animal.

            “Hey.” He replied curtly. “The journal is over there, if you can find some way that we could split the power to multiple sources that would be great.”

            Her lips pulled to the side at the sudden order, but obeyed wandering to her own desk where the paperwork was scattered about aimlessly. “I take it you still haven’t figured out the engineering for a strong singular power source.”

            “Nope,” Donatello replied. “Not even the Krang Tech I have is strong enough. What I really need is another power cell like the one in the Shellraiser.” 

            “Could we not just remove the power cell from the Shellraiser and move it to the turtle mech, then come up with something new for the Shellraiser itself. I mean, it’s far smaller.” Y/n suggested earning herself a sigh.

            “We would then be stuck reengineering the whole van. I don't think we can afford having it out of commission for long.”

            “Well shit.” Y/n muttered under her breath, as her suggestion was denied. The girl then turned in her rolly chair back to her desks and started going through the paperwork that Donatello had collected for her. 

            Y/n tried to focus, she really did, but it was hard with Donnie irritatingly grumbling to himself in the background. It was evident that he was at the end of his rope, and the girl couldn’t even blame him. The power source was the only thing they were missing. So far, the pair had already made a full arm, a full leg, and plenty of the pieces that would need to come together for the central structure, but now they were stuck. Without knowing the power source, they couldn’t start any wiring, and without any wiring they didn’t want to make my final placements, incase components ended up having to move. All and all, it was frustrating work for everyone involved. They had been hard at work for a little over an hour before a reprieve finally arrived. 

            “Eh Donnie, can you fix this?” Mikey’s voice sheepishly echoed through the lab causing Y/n to look up. Glancing in his direction she saw the youngest turtle wandering in with the VHS in his hands, clearly broken. He had a single-minded look for a fleeting moment, but as always with Mikey, he was quickly distracted looking around aimlessly before something huge caught his eye. “Monster hand! Monster hand!” The youngest turtle screamed until he was cut off by a faint girlish giggle.

            “Calm down, that’s just part of the turtle mech we’ve been working on.” Y/n explained calmly, admittedly a bit happy to be saved from the formulas in front of her for at least a few minutes. “No need to be scared, Angel.”

            "Wow! That must be huge!” Mikey gushed excitement easily taking over any and all of his previous fear..

            “Yeah so huge I can't find a power source for it.” Donatello grumbled at his computer. “If I could just get it working!”

            In his frustration, Donnie threw the piece of Krang technology he was fiddling with. It was the pocket portal that Casey and April had found a few months back. The same one that Y/n half-hazardly fixed after the others got stuck inside of it. The plan was to figure out its power source and replicate it on a larger scale, evidently they were getting nowhere. Something they weren’t expecting, however, was for the device to still be functional after how much they had fiddled with it over the past day and a half. So, when a portal grew to life in the center of the lab, Mikey wasn’t the only one who was shocked. 

            “What did Mikey do!” Raphael’s voice echoed through the lab and he and Leo rushed in. They had planned to come check on the statue of their movie, but the second they saw the portal open they knew something had been up. 

            The pair quickly joined their brothers to watch the portal from a safe distance, and a moment later, Y/n was at Leo’s side squinting curiously. “I didn’t think it was still functional.” She commented, worry and amazement filling her tone. 

            As they stood, puzzled by the portal in front of them a dense mist began to leak into the lab. Rightfully concerned, they collectively took a step back far too aware of the dangers that could be contained within the mist. While the others watched curiously, Donatello hurried over to his computer, hoping to figure out what this mist was.

            “What is that?”

            “It’s Kranng atmosphere.” Donatello said as he finished reading over his screen before hurrying to gather up five of his newest gadgets to pass out. “Here, filtration units. They’ll allow us to breath it safely.” 

            Carefully, everyone secured their filtration units before moving closer to the portal. It was so similar yet so very different from the portals they had experienced before with the krang. This portal in particular felt as if it had a certain draw to it, pulling them all closer with each second it remained open.

            “Guys I think this goes to dimension X.” Donnie said, voice dripping with amazement.

            “Where the Kranng come from?” Leo asked, clearly looking for clarification. 

            “Yes! It-” Donnie started to explain only to suddenly be interrupted 

            “Turtles-” that voice was familiar, but it still caused everyone to jump and frantically look around. That's when they realized the sound was coming from the Krang communication orb.

            “Leather head!” Mikey shouted as he rushed for the orb. “He’s alive.”

            “Shhh. He’s saying something.” Raphael scolded as everyone surrounded the youngest turtle and tried to listen to the message from their old friend. 

            “They’re about to– Turtles,” Leatherhead said, though the glitching orb was severely breaking up his message. “The Kranng have perfected the mutagen, they’re about to–”

            With that the message flickered out, and Mikey began shaking the orb as if it would make Leatherhead return. “Oh no! They got him! He needs our help!”

            “He must be in dimension X, as soon as the portal opened his signal came through and activated the orb.” Donatello theorized. 

            “So can the orb tell us where he is?” 

            “Maybe if I can–” Before the turtle in purple could finish his thought, Mikey had rushed to a nearby desk and began banging the orb on the side of it.

            “Mikey!!” Everyone shouted

            “Where’s leatherhead! Where is he!” the youngest turtle demanded.

            Urgently Y/n rushed forward and snatched the Orb out of the youngest turtle’s hands just in time to watch the power flicker off of it. “Mikey!” she shouted before taking a deep breath.

            It was times like this that made it hard for her to believe that the turtles were actually all the same age. They were twenty-one-year-old men. Raph, Donnie, Leo, yeah that checks out. Sometimes they are dumbasses but so are human men at that age, most of the time though they functionally have their shit together. Mikey on the other hand. Y/n began to rub the bridge of her nose to ease the oncoming headache. It was a habit that she had picked up from Leo. A glance towards her terrapin boyfriend only to see him doing the exact same thing.

            “Well, now we truly have our answer,” Y/n sighed as she scanned the communication orb to get a better read on the damages. “No, Angel. The orb will not be telling us where Leatherhead is. In fact, I doubt it will be telling us much of anything right now.”

            “I can fix this, but it may take a while.” Donnie sighed as he took the orb from his lab partner to look at it closer.

            Meanwhile, Leo had managed to rub away some of the irritation that his brothers were causing him and went into leader mode. “Okay, we need to come up with a plan.”

            “Yeah!” Michelangelo cheered, clearly excited to find his friend. 

            “Part one, Mikey stays here.”

            “What?” That's all it took for all the hope to drain from Mikey’s face 

            “You’ve been messing up too much lately.” Leo scolded. “We can’t take the chance.” 

            With that, everyone, excluding Michelangelo, began to form a plan. They discussed possible outcomes and what the dimensions could be like as Donnie and Y/n quickly gathered their weapons, something Leonardo and Raph had done when they first heard panic in the lab. What they couldn’t see was the orange turtle forming a reckless plan of his own. Filled with determination and fueled by his loyalty towards Leatherhead, Mikey knew he couldn’t sit around and do nothing. So, he sprang to his feet and ran towards the portal, jumping into dimension-X without looking back.

            “Mikey!” They all shouted as soon as they saw the turtle rush past them.

            Everyone hurried after him, crowding the portal and looking closely hoping to catch a glimpse of their brother, to no avail. 

            “We gotta go after him!” Raphael shouted.

            “Let’s move!” Leonardo prompted, and in an intent Raphael jumped in after Mikey. 

            “Wait, the environment in there could be toxic to–” Donatello attempted to warn, only to be cut off by his older brother.            

            “There’s no time!” Leo shouted over his shoulder before he too jumped through the portal. 

            “Warning heard Tello,” Y/n acknowledged him with a nod before looking back at the portal. “But even you can’t argue that Angel is a wanderer, we gotta hurry.”

            With that, the human took the plunge, and with a grumble, Donnie followed suit. The portal felt like the worst rollercoaster ever and ended with a six-foot drop onto hard ground. Ground that felt like metal. Y/n groaned as she lifted onto her hands and gasped. They were on some kinda floating island. And the sky. It was pink. Filled with more floating islands in place of clouds. 

            “Guys uh look.” Leonardo prompted as stood and took his own look around. “So, this is diminution X.”

            “We are definitely not in Kansas anymore.” Y/n muttered to no one in particular as she pushed off the ground and slowly made her way to the leader’s side.

            “Freak show.” Raphael muttered as his eyes followed some sort of flying creature that was circling them.

            “There's no sun. There's no anything.” Donatello gasped. 

            “Even the ground seems artificial.” Y/n commented with an experimental jump, noting that her descent seems slower than usual. “How is this place sustaining life?”

            “I have no idea unless the creatures are also–” Donnie started to theorize as he walked backwards too busy scanning his surroundings to realize he had reached the edge of their island.

            Raph noticed however, and at the last second sounded for him. “Look out!” but it was too late, Donnie had fallen. In a panic the other three team members hurried to the side of the cliff, only to be shocked to find Donatello standing on the underside of the island. 

            “This is ridiculous!” The turtle in purple protested while holding a handout that Raphael took, using it to help his brother back knot the right side of the rock.  “Gravity cannot work like this.”

            “Apparently here it can.” Leo mused.

            “Different dimension.” Donnie started as he picked up a rock and threw it, causing the rock to go on some sort of loop until he intercepted it.  “Different laws of physics.” 

            “Well that pretty much scraps my degree.” The girl of the group grumbled as she kicked a stone and silently watched it float around before lightly descending back to the ground.

            “Let's just hurry up and find Mikey.” Raph growled irritated, clearly getting more and more pissed with each weird thing that happened. 

            Taking a soothing sigh of his own, Donatello posed perhaps the most important question. “Any idea where to start?” 

            Scanning the skyline, Leo pointed towards a large metal building a few islands off. “That’s as good a place as any.” 

            Y/n huffed when she looked at the sole building in the distance. “I guess he would head towards anything sketchy if he’s trying to find your friend.”

There were varying hums of agreement as the team made their way towards the edge of their island to get a better look into the distance. That building was a bit away, but the next Island over seemed close enough to jump to as long as they gauged it right. After all, I couldn’t be much further apart than a pair of buildings in New York.

            “Let's do this!” Raph said, his expression tightening with determination as he took a running start before running off of their current island, floating towards the air, before crashing down on the neighboring island. He stumbled to gain his balance, but it didn’t stop him from turning back to the others. “What are you waiting for? C’mon.”
            Leo, Donnie, and Y/n all exchanged uneasy looks before talking a few hesitant steps back. With a shout, they charged for the edge and jumped off just as they would any other building. Instantly they felt the difference. Rather than a pull around them, it felt almost as if their bodies were struggling to propel forward and up. This feeling, however, quickly faded after their arch’s peaked, and the trio began to pick up speed, the turtles less so than Y/n. While less than graceful, Leo and Donnie managed to land on their feet a safe way in from the edge, but their human companion was not as lucky. She had no control of her speeding descent and flew past the other’s heads before they couldn’t truly process the fact that she had missed her expected landing. 

            “Ah! Too fast, too fast!” Y/n screeched as she flew far further than any of the guys. 

Tracking her form, Raphael quickly took advantage of his previously found balance and rushed after the girl. With a jump he managed to snag her ankle and pull her down roughly onto their island. Y/n landed hard and ground while rubbing her now sore shoulder. 

            “Looks like the Mockingbird found her wings.” Raph teased as he helped her to her feet.

            “Shut up! I don’t have a heavy shell to weigh me down.” Y/n bit back, being sure to punctuate her statement with a petty shoulder punch. 

            “Fair point,” Donatello piqued in as he and Leo joined the pair to check on Y/n.  “You probably shouldn’t be doing your own leaps. Our weight difference appears to be severely throwing off the landings.” 

            Leonardo nodded in agreement, then made his way in front of his girlfriend and squatted down. “Hop on Finch.” 

Y/n wasted no time scrambling onto his back, securing her arms over his shoulder and legs at his hips. “Thank you Francoeur.” she whispered in his ear before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

The turtle nodded back to her before indicating for his team to go again. Carefully they jumped from rock to rock. Slowly the landmasses turned into something more man-made, or Krang-made as it were. Metal towers, and satellites began to pop-up here and there. The structures became more frequent the closer to the facility they got. Other than the structures however, there was no evidence that this dimension was even inhabited, something that was making everyone a little uneasy.

            “Why aren’t we seeing any Kranng around here?” Leonardo asked as they landed on some sort of satellite tower.

            Landing beside him Donnie shrugged. “I don’t know but at least they don’t know we’re here.”

            “Except for those.” Raph replied as he pointed a little way forward in the direction of two flying creatures. “Aw look at the little guys, they are so cute and sparkly.”

            “Okay? Poisonous dart frogs are cute and little too, but you don't want to mess with those.” Y/n muttered from her perch, earning herself little more than a curious hum. 

            Suddenly Leonardo stiffened. “Wait, are they little?”

            As if summoned by the question, the creature started flying closer and closer until they were a mere foot away. They were huge! A single section of its body had a ten-inch radius, and they had four sections. To make matters worse, both of them appeared to be locked onto the group of ninjas. 

            “Nope.” Donnie said quickly, and not a moment later the creatures shot some sort of electric charge their way. 

            With a yelp the team jumped from their perk in various directions trying to get away from the creatures. They landed hard on the base of the tower causing Y/n to fall from Leonardo’s back. By the time she looked up from her wince the girl saw that only she and Donnie remained on the ground as Leo and Raph charged the creatures with their weapons drawn. As the boys went out attacking, however, the creature split into segments effectively dodging their attacks. 

            Angered, the creatures fought back, sending a charge towards the turtles, electrocuting Leonardo and Raph and they were suspended in the air. A single glance was all it took for Donnie and Y/n to formulate their plan. Drawing their weapons, they charged, with Donnie taking the lead.

            Jumping up, the turtle in purple used his staff to offset the creatures. While it didn’t do any damage the hit was enough to make them stop their attack. Y/n took this as her opening and charged, throwing a kunai as she went. Her blade made contact with the front orb of one of the creatures, creating a large crack, but they still weren’t slowing down. No, they were now charging at them.

            Y/n’s eyes widened when she saw this, and she quickly turned to run, only to be roughly grabbed by her forearm and lifted onto a branch of a nearby crystal formation. Her back was pressed against the cool surface as a large Three finger hand came up to cover her mouth. Her body went rigid as she stared at her capture. It was Raphael. He was glaring in her direction, his Nictitating membrane (Second Eyelids) were closed, making his eyes look white. The turtle in red raised his free hand to his lips and indicated for Y/n to be quiet before glancing to the side. 

            Looking past him, Yn saw Leonardo doing a similar thing to Donnie as the pair watched the creatures search for them. Having no luck, the pair retreated into the sky. Once they were far enough away, the group took a collective sigh of relief. 

            “What the heck were those things?” Leo asked.

            “If Mikey were here he'd come up with a name for them.” Raphael mumbled as sad realization dawned on him, his face falling in an instant. “He’s probably Kranng bait by now.”          

            For a moment, sadness draped over the team as they remembered why they were here in the first place. Leatherhead, and Mikey running in to save him. While they are moving forward, they were slow. To make matters worse, they hadn’t seen the hide nor hair of the youngest turtle, meaning his fate was still up in the air. 

            As if to break the mood, Donatello suddenly spoke. “Guys I think these are the same type of crystal that are used in the Krang power cell.”           

            “Donnie, I don’t know if you should mess with that.” Leonardo advised as his younger brother shook at one of the crystal’s branches. 

            “Leo’s right, that crystal is pretty much the power cells only component it might hold more of a —” Y/n tried to warn, but before she could finish Donnie broke off a part of the crystal and it started to glow.

            “What is that?” Raph asked.  

            “Something not good.” Donnie replied nervously before he tossed his shard of crystal and pushed off the rock, his brother following behind. “Go go go!”

            Filled with panicked energy the group hurriedly jumped from the crystal only to crash land on a nearby island. Skidding to a haul, Y/n curled in only herself, covering her head as rocks and debris fell from above. When the last of the pebbles fell she sighed and began muttering herself about not having a shell. 

            “New rule!” Leo shouted. “Nobody touches anything!”

            “Agreed.” Y/n mumbled as she pushed herself off the ground, only for a smirk to force as she zeroed in on a broken piece of crystal in front of her. “But I want to touch one more thing.”

            She scurried to her feet and moved till she could crouch down in front of the piece. Leonardo, who had landed beside her, reacted fast. Reaching out and grabbing Y/n’s shirt. “No Finch.”

            “But I wanna see if–” She tried to argue while batting at his hand only to have Raphael cut her off.

            “Leo’s right, that thing just exploded on us. Don’t touch it.”

            “Fine, I won't touch it!” Y/n groaned. “But I still wanna try something.”

            “Mocking bird we don’t have time for—”

            Y/n cut off Raphael by singing a simple trill. At the sound of her melody, the broken crystal in front of her lit up vibrantly causing the girl to smile. She repeated the trill and once again the crystal illuminated. The boys quickly surrounded her, watching the processes with awe as Y/n continued to sing short melodies that made the broken crystal light up. The longer the sequins, the brighter it would glow.

            “Amazing! It’s reacting to your voice.” Donatello gushed. “How did you figure that out?”

            “The power cell in the Shellraiser.” Y/n beamed, looking over her shoulder towards the turtle in purple. “I was singing while I cleaned it the other day and noticed that the power cell would light up as I sang. It was that I was powering it with my tone. I have no idea why it was happening, but it made me curious to see if it would work with these crystals as well.”

            “As interesting as that is, we do have something to do.” Leonardo urged, though it was clear in his voice that he was impressed by the discovery as well.

            “Sorry sorry, let’s go.” Y/n sighed before walking back towards the team leader and returning to her perch on his back.

            For a few minutes, the team pressed on, moving from rock to rock, island to island, until they had to stop to catch their breath. Glancing ahead, Y/n huffed, they didn’t look much closer to that building. How is that even possible?

            “Man, I kinda don’t plan the Krang for invading us.” Donatello suddenly said. “Their dimension stinks.”

            “I don’t know that thing is kinda cute.” Leo said as he shrugged Y/n off his back to approach a small slim looking creature that was just chilling on a rock. 

            Watching with his jaw dropped, Raphael attempted to shout a warning to his older brother. “Leo, the one thing we know about this dimension is don’t mess with anything cute.”

            “Mop Mop,” Leo mimicked the creature's noise with a sweet smile. The thing returned the sound, prompting Leo to make the noise again as well before tickling its stomach. “Mop Mop!”

            The thing giggled on constant then began to vibrate. Closing its mouth, the creature made a farting noise before laughing again, all of which made Leonardo smile. Turning back to his team, he gestured to the little creature.

            “Awe, It’s so small though. How can it–”

            The leader couldn’t even finish his sentence before the ground started to shake and the creature began to grow. With wide eyes the team watched as they are little squishy squeaky thing turtles into a giant rock worm monster. The cute part was just a lure, and it sure as hell worked. Without breathing eye contact with the beast, the team took a few hesitant steps back before breaking into a sprint. 

            “Angler Fish! Angler Fish!” Y/n screamed as Leonardo scooped her back onto his back as they rushed away. 

            “I hate cute things! I hate them!” Raphael added to the panic while they leaped from island to island, trying to get away from the monster.

            They ran full force, trying to get away, but it seems all for not. The monster was gaining. Feeling brave, or maybe just stupid. Y/n glanced over her shoulder only to see the monster all but snapping at Leo’s heals. She yelped at the sight and frantically started to reach for her kunai, an action that she quickly began to regret. Her released grip from Leo’s shoulders caused her to lose balance, and before she could react, she was falling back towards the open mouth of the creature.

            Shutting her eye’s Y/n screamed, awaiting her fate, when she felt what could only be described as a wet sponge rope wrapped around her and pulled her to the side, moments before disaster. Another scream, this one of surprise, passed her lips as her body swiftly changed direction. She soared through the air for a few seconds before roughly landing in the arms of her savior. Looking up, her eyes widened. It was one of the turtles who saved her, but not who she expected. 

            “Mikey!” she gasped.

            The youngest turtle only nodded before setting her down beside him. “Stay here. I’ve gotta help the others.”

            Widening his stance Mikey lifted up a slug like creature and squeezed it. A long tongue shot out of the animal, this time wrapping around Donatello, and pulling him in their direction. The turtle in purple landed in front of Y/n with a thud. A moment later, Raphael came flying in, landing on top of his brother, followed quickly by Leo. The three of them groaned while Mikey moved to stand protectively in front of the group.

            “Stay away from my brothers.” he commanded the creature.

            “Mikey?” His brothers all questioned. 

            Rather than responding, the youngest turtle began to make a loud screeching noise that disoriented the creature. He then rushed forward into action. Baffled, Y/n and his brothers watched from a distance as Mikey attacked the creature with a plethora of small explosions and strange sounds, effectively doing more damage in under a minute than any of them could have imagined. 

            “You’re okay!” Donnie shouted as they all ran to Mikey’s side.

            “We’ve been worried about you.” Leonardo added.

            To their surprise, their younger brother only huffed. “Well, what took you so long? I’ve been here for months.”

            “Months!” They all shouted in shock.

            “Or maybe a few hours.” The youngest turtle shrugged. “I don’t have a watch.” 

            “That’s a big difference, Angel!” Y/n gaped. 

            “But we went through the portal like fifteen seconds behind you.” Raphael argued, trying to make sense of what Mikey was saying.

            Humming, Donatello added his two cents. “Obviously, time passes faster here than in our own dimension.” 

            That connection caught Y/n’s ear making her stand a bit taller. “There's a temporal differential? How fascinating.” 

            “I love tempura!” Mikey suddenly beamed, reminding everyone that he was in fact still the same turtle, without a doubt.

            Donnie was going to correct him but before he could, Mikey saw the creature approaching once again from behind, and he screamed at it. That was all it took for the monster to retreat, leaving the others once again, very confused. “Wait how did you-”

            “Let’s get moving, that thing is going to keep coming back, and we gotta recuse Leatherhead.” The youngest turtle cut him off, before looking up at the large crystal beside them and jumping up onto it. “Oh, better stock up on bang rocks.”

            “Mikey be careful!” Donnie warned as everyone carefully took a few steps back, getting ready for the incoming explosion. The explosion, however, never came. Instantly, Mikey made a sound similar to a meow which made the crystal glow before levitating off the branch for Mikey to grab.  “How did you do that?”

            “A lot of stuff here responds to sound.” The youngest turtle explained. 

            “That makes sense,” Y/n mused.  “After all, the crystals did light up with my singing. It’s not too far-fetched that different tones or frequencies would cause different effects.” 

            Her response made Mikey beam, as he landed back beside his family. “You’re right Nightingale! The Doctor would be proud.”

            “Doctor?” She questioned as Mikey suddenly placed a slug in her hand. 

            The turtle in orange then tossed slugs to his brothers, and when Leo caught him he looked up at his youngest brother confused. “What are we supposed to do with these?” 

            “Like this.” Mikey reposed before raising his slug and squeezing it. 

            The animal’s tongue then shot from its mouth and stuck to a nearby rock. With a shrug, the others followed his lead. A second after their slugs latched to the rock, however, they began to retract their tongues, causing Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Y/n to go flying towards the second island. The four of them landed arm on their backs while Mikey gracefully flew above them and landed on his fell a few feet ahead. 

            Scrambling to his feet, Raphael looked at his younger brother amazed. “Wow, how’d you know how these bug things worked?”
            “Just seemed sorta obvious.”  Mikey shrugged.

            “Mikey you're like a genius here.” The turtle in red gaped. 

            “Hey, in crazy backwards land, Crazy backwards dude is king.” This younger brother smirked then without warning; he squeezed the other end of his slug causing a neon green sludge to spray from it directly into his mouth. “They’re tasty too. Now let's go rescue leatherhead.”

            While discussed, the others knew they didn’t really have to react to another gross antic of Michelangelo’s. Instead, they followed his lead, using their slugs to move far faster than before towards the building. When they finally arrived, the team collectively ditched their slugs and pulled out their weapons. Creeping through the crystal trees until they were close enough to see the entrance to the building. Silently they waited for a signal from Leon on how to proceed, only to jump out of their skin when Mikey suddenly descended from above.

            “Okay I've got some good news and I've got some bad news.” He started. 

            “What's the good news?” Leonardo asked.

            “There are thousands of Kranng droids in there.” His younger brother said with a nod.

            “I said good news.”

            “I know.” Mikey smiled before turning towards the entrance, his face instantly falling as the doors opened revealing two giant elemental monsters. “That's the bad news.” 

            Stomping out of their homes, the elements roared. Out of their mouths flew blue flames and lava. Luckily it seems like they didn’t notice the ninja team yet, but that would only last so long. Like it or not, the pair were an obstacle that would need to be taken out. 

            “I’ve got this!” Mikey started as he prepared for attack.

            Before he could do anything though, Leonardo cut him off. “Raph right, Donnie Left.”

            “Wrong…” He groaned as he watched the other turtles rush away only to be surprised when he heard the dole girl of their group clear her throat, letting the youngest know that she hadn’t run off with the others. 

            “Well Angel,” Y/n mused, looking away from the fight to the youngest turtle. “What’s right?”    

            “You trust me?” He asked, his voice twinging with amazement.

            “Of course,” The girl said with a shrug. “Besides, you’ve also been here the longest so…”

            Mikey laughed as she trailed off, then jumped down to stand in front of her. “Well Nightingale, here’s the plan.” 

            Coming together the pair came up with a plan while using the others as a distraction. Once it was set, they nodded and got into position. Mikey climbed up a crystal to taunt the beasts, while Y/n hid behind the crystal until her signal. The first boom. As soon as she heard it, Y/n ran out, throwing her own stones at their feet. Together, their explosions lead the elementals away from the others and towards the edge of the island. 

            Glancing at Mikey, Y/n waited until he nodded to start part two of their plan. Fighting with sound. At the signal, Mikey began to scream while Y/n belted the highest note she could manage. Their  harmony is enough to shatter the ground, sending the elementals crashing down into the unknown below. When the dust cleaned, Y/n began to cheer while pumping her fists in the air.

            “We did it!” Y/n squealed, jumping up to hug the turtle beside her.

            Mikey joined her celebration for a few seconds longer before setting Y/n back onto her feet, his expression morphing into something more serious. “Let's move!”

The youngest turtle then took off with Y/n being the first to follow behind him into the facility. Quickly and silently, they navigated through the halls taking out any of the Kranng they encountered until they ended up outside of a testing room. Curiously, the group stopped and looked through the window to see what was going on.

            While they couldn’t hear what was being said they could see it clearly. The krang were coating a tree in mutagen, turning it into one of the crystal formations that littered Dimension X. The crystal was placed in a secure jar before the krang left the room. With the room cleaned, the team took their chance to enter, moving close to the screens to try and  translate their writings.    

            “So that’s what leather head meant when he said they perfected the mutagen, they are going to mutate everything on earth, even the people.” Donnie said nervously. “They are going to turn earth into another dimension X.”

            “So, I'll be a genius there too?” Mikey jumped in, joying dripping in his tone a concerning amount.

            “Yes Mikey way to find the one single positive thing among ten thousand screaming nightmares.” Donatello screamed at his younger brother. 

            “Well, Michelangelo is the optimist.” A new voice chimed in, catching everyone’s attention.

            Michelangelo’s smile widened at the newcomer making everyone feel a bit more at ease, since that meant, at the very least, he wasn’t an enemy. “Hey! Doc! I didn’t know you were on this test.” 

            “There are very few things I can pull, but I insisted on people there for all tests, in case of your return.” The man explained before looking past the turtle in orange towards the others. “I take it you found your…brothers…oh my god.”

            “Oh my god…” Y/n muttered as well as she finally got a good look at this mysterious doctor. 

            It was him. In the span of a second, Y/n finally had an answer, proof to her crazed ramblings and notes in the back of the formulas book. Because the doctor Mikey was talking about, the same one who stood behind her now was none other than Doctor (Father’s/n) (L/n), Y/n’s father. He was alive. He was alive and her in dimension X still working on the Krang. That means he hadn’t died that day. He had been taken away. Of course, this realization caused a collection of other questions to begin fighting for the space in the forefront of the singer’s mind, but one through shouted above them all as she stood frozen. Dad is Alive.

            Confused, and feeling Y/n stiffen, Leo looked to the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder to take and break her from whatever trance she had fallen into. “Finch? Is everything ok.”

            “It can’t be…” the girl whispered before rolling her shoulder out of Leo's grip to approach the man. “Dad?”

            “Y/n? Is that really you?” The doctor asked his own curious exceptions, breaking into a large smile when Y/n nodded. 

            “Dad!” Y/n shouted after a moment of silence, as she all but jumped into her father’s arms.  “How is this possible! I thought you were dead.”

            “Oh, my sweet girl, there is so much to explain.” The man replied, giving his daughter another squeeze before pushing her back just enough for him to scan her form. “Just look at you. You look so healthy; I was so scared that they would send you here too before long.”

            “Wait wait wait,” Raphael’s voice echoed, breaking their reunion. “This is your dad?”

            “Oh! Oh right!” Y/n rushed around, turning on her heel to face her team. “Guys, this is my father. Doctor (Father’s/n) (L/n). Dad these are the guys. Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo.”

            “Michelangelo’s brothers, I take it.” Dr. (L/n) smiled.

            “Yes.” Leonardo replied, his eyes darting between the girl and her father a few times before he straightened up and approached with an outstretched hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you sir.” 

             Dr. (L/n) nodded to Leo as he shook the turtle’s hand before glancing back at his daughter, curiously taking in the fond glint in her eye that appeared at the turtle’s actions. “And how exactly did you end up in this group…” 

            “Well, it’s a bit of a story if I’m being honest.” Y/n laughed.

            “A story we don’t really have time for, Kranng is coming.” Raphael interrupted before they could waste any more time just standing around talking.

            “Let's move out.” Leo nodded to his brother before taking his hand back for Dr. L/n and offering it to Y/n. “Finch, Dr. (L/n), let's go.”

            Y/n nodded towards the turtle and placed her hand in his, letting him drag her out of the room, and the team once again began navigating the compound. As they moved, Dr. L/n tried his hardest to stay beside his daughter. As he did, his mind started to wander, a trait he passed onto his child. He couldn’t help it. After all this time he had so many questions for his little girl, including, but not limited, what exactly her relationship was, were this mutant in particular. 

            After all, the turtle in blue was the only one to step up for an individual introduction. Then there's that look Y/n gave him when they spoke. She looked completely smitten. After that, the turtle called her a nickname, Finch, and offered her his hand. And she was still holding as they moved. It was almost as if they were a… 

            “Dr. (L/n), do you know where they are keeping Leatherhead?” Leonardo asked as they rushed down the hall.

            The doctor tore his head away from his daughter and the turtle’s conjoined hands long enough to refocus and respond. “The alligator? Yes, he’s in cell 7 corridor B.” 

            “I’ll lead the way.” Mikey jumped in, pushing his way to the front of the group.

            The rest of the journey was short. When They arrived at the cell, Leo and Raph drew their weapons. A nod communicated it all, prompting Y/n to release the leader’s hand in favor of leading her father a few paces back near a wall with Donnie. The three watched silently as Leo and Raph took out the Krang droids before Mikey knocked out the aliens themselves. With The enemy’s defeated, Y/n, Donnie and the Doctor entered the cell, and Mikey ran towards an exhausted and chained leather head.

            “Leatherhead! Are you okay? What can I do for you? Can you—” Mikey started, fussing similarly to a panicked mother until the alligator mutant collapsed on top of him. “Get off of me.”

            “Thank you, my friends.” Leatherhead spoke as he pushed himself onto his feet. “I feared you would never come.”

            “Dude, did you quit moisturizing or something?” Mikey focused on its finest truly, though he did have a point. “You look a ton older.”

            “It’s the temporal differential Mikey.” Donnie explained.

            “Yes, I have been in this place for many decades now, spying on the Krang”  Leatherhead confirmed. “When I discovered they had perfected the mutagen. I had to contact you. The time has come, their invasion begins now.” With that the alligator took off down the hall. “Follow me!”

            The mutant paused almost as soon as he entered the hall to growl at a krang and beat it to a pulp giving the others a moment to collect themselves. As they did so, Y/n looked at her father. If leatherhead had been here for decades, wouldn’t that mean the same thing applied to her father? Sure, he looked older, but only by about five or so years. Not by twenty plus. There was something else as well. 

            Rolling her tongue, Y/n pocketed at the flexible tube that was running down her throat. Her filtration device. She could feel it heating up by her hip, having to work twice as hard as the boys since she had zero immunity to the atmosphere, while they at least had mutagen in their blood to help out. Her father didn't look mutated. He should need some sort of filtration as well. So why didn't he have one. 

            All of it caused an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. One that consumed her focus enough that she didn’t notice her team running off behind leatherhead. That was until she felt a finger caress the side of her cheek. Jumping she looked up to see Leo staring back at her, a hard crease of concern forming between his eyes. 

            “Are you okay Finch?” he asked her. 

            “Hmm… yeah, I'm fine Francoeur.” She answered quickly, while nuzzling into his hand, hoping to solidify her words. 

            The action, however, didn't help. Instead, Leo’s expression deepened as he glazed away only for a second towards their teammates who had come to a stop at the end of the hall. “Is it your dad…?” he suggested with a whisper.

            “Uh… kinda… I just. I’m amazing that he’s hear and have so many questions it’s kinda overwhelming.” She admitted with a soft smile but worry continued to crease Leonardo's features. Reaching up she tried to sooth them before opting to simply pull him down to her level and lightly peck his lips. “We can worry about all of that later.”

            He nods and gives her a second quick kiss before grabbing her hand and looking at the others. They were all waiting expectantly. Mikey looked impatient as ever, Raphael annoyed at the hold up. Donatello looked a bit concerned, aiming it towards Y/n in a way that made her  wonder if he overheard their words and then there was her father. He was staring wide-eyed at her glancing between her and Leo, before his eyes landed on their joined hands.

            There was definitely something going on. Those kisses proved it.

            “We’ve gotta move,” Leo said simply, his leader persona taking over once again as he led Y/n towards the front of the group and gestured for leatherhead to lead the way. 

            The team hurtled through the halls until they made it to a corridor with a seemingly dead end. Curiously they looked at the wall only for Leather head to ram it, opening a panel that gave them a look into the krang control room. In the center hanging from the ceiling was one of the giant power crystals, and directly below it was a portal control panel. The portals it was tied to line the walls, covering nearly every surface.

            “Oh, that’s not good.” Donatello said, pointing towards the walls of portals

            “That’s a lot of portals.” Leo commented. “Why so many?”

            “Look!” Leatherhead growled and pointed down towards the base level.

            Everyone watched with horror as the bottom most doors opened revealing a countless number of Kranng droids. With a humorless laugh Donnie stood up a bit straighter and turned, preparing to leave. “So. looks like we're done here.”

            “The tunnel leads to the hive factory. Where the krang drones are manufactured.” Leatherhead explained. “Their numbers are practically limitless.”

            “They are also constantly upgrading.” Dr. L/n added a distant hateful look filling his eyes as he started at the portals. 

            “You spend a lot of time at the factory, don’t you, doctor.” Mikey commented, earning him the man’s attention. 

            “An unfortunate truth.” 

            “Ohky,” Y/n muttered, the uncomfortable bit in her stomach only growing larger.  “So, what can we do?”

            “We can go down fighting.”

            “Is this just a die here or die their scenario?” Y/n asked, her voice raising an octave making it clear that the idea perturbed her. 

            “I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.” Leatherhead replied simply earning himself a scoff from Donnie.

            “Well, I wouldn't! I have knee pads!” The purple turtle argued. “The only sensible course right now is retreat.”

            “No!” Mikey cut in, then turned to the group.  “Leo and Raph block that tunnel. Donnie and I will sabotage the portal generator. Doctor and Nightingale! You two keep those bots off Donnie and I. Leather head!”

            “Crush Krang?” the largest mutant asked.

            “A lot!” Mikey confirmed. “Let's hit it!”

            Glazing Below the boys began to jump off one by one. Before Raph and Leo jumped however, they had the forethought to stop and turn towards the humans. Without hesitation, Y/n ran to Leo’s side, and let the turtle pick her up. Raphael offered a hand to her father, who hesitates until Y/n urged him on. With a tug, the doctor was up on Raph’s back, and they jumped down into the battle. 

            On The ground, Y/n and her father quickly got to their feet before rushing to the side where there was some cover for them to gain their bearings. It was evident from the look on Dr. L/n’s face that he jumped down was a bit much for him, so Y/n was taking pity. Even so, there wasn't much time, they would have to get to the control panel to stand between the younger turtles and any attackers. 

            “Okay dad, just stay back. Leather head will tank most of them, I can handle the stragglers." Y/n explained as she reached towards her knives. 

            She only had three left, having lost one while fighting those electric ball creatures earlier, but they should serve well enough. The girl made a mental note to talk to Splinter about upper her supply, having to constantly hunt down thrown kunai during a battle was less than convent. Shaking her head, Y/n tried to focus as she grabbed her blades only to wince and have to adjust their pavement in her hands to not irritate her scars. PT had been helping, and if adrenaline was in play she could hardly feel them, but the scars and the pain were still there. Passing her third and final Kunai to her father, so that he had some sort of weapon, Y/n scanned the battle in front of them until her eyes locked with an opening that would take them right to Mikey and Donnie at the controls. 

            “Let's go.” She said to her father before rushing into the battle, and instantly jumping onto a krang droid’s back, stabbing the power cell to shut it down before scrambling back to her feet and standing in front of Donnie.

            “Are you alright?” Her father asked in a panic as he stood beside her and messily used his own knife to stab an approaching droid.

            “Yes, I'm fine dad.” Y/n insisted before jumping in and taking down the robot for him.

            “These knives,” The man started before having to duck down for his daughter to take out her third droid. “When did you learn how to use them?”

            “Kunai actually,” Y/n corrected before looking at her father with a smile. “And a while ago. Leo taught me.”

            “The turtle your um… uh…” the man trailed off and Y/n instantly knew why. After all, he was still her dad even if it had been a while and she was an adult now. Her having a boyfriend in general must be a bit weird for him, and boyfriend who is a turtle, even more so.

            “Dating?” y/n supplied for him. “Yeah, him.”

            “Dating a turtle…” The man mumbled before pulling Y/n to the side and stabbing at an oncoming droid, this time, stabbing the Kranng directly rather than attacking the robot, a much more effective move. “Darling I know this is hardly the time but are you sure that’s the best choice?”         

            Y/n didn’t answer immensely, too busy jumping another krang and stabbing the alien while it was down before it could even jump from its armor. “Well, he’s charming, and smart, and takes good care of me. So yeah. Seems like a suitable boyfriend to me.”

            “Takes care of you…by bringing you into an alien dimension…” Her father sniped back, judgment clearly filling his tone. “Not really a good look.”

            Y/n looked up at her father, fully prepared to argue her point future only to hear the sound of blade cutting through metal and two heavy thumbs. Surprised, she turned to see Leo standing behind her, having just slayed two more krang droids before they could get to her, and now offering her a hand to help her to her feet. An adoring smile stretched on her lips as she accepted his hand and let Leo pull her to her feet. As if to further prove her point, rather than keeping her head on the fight, Y/n placed her hands flat against Leo’s chest as she said her peace.

            “How’s that for a good look?” She asked her father without taking her eyes off her boyfriend. 

            “Y/n watch out.” Her dad shouts instead of replying. 

            The girl’s head whipped around to see a krang approaching her with his blaster raised. Both she and Leo raised their weapons to fight, but it ended up being for not. Before either of them could move, the droid had been taken out by what appeared to be friendly fire. Following the blast to its source the pair starred in horror.  

            The blasts had come from none other than Y/n’s father. And not from a blaster. No. His right arm had folded backwards on itself revealing a blaster in his elbow that he had used to take down the droids. 

            There is a collective gasp form those who witness and Y/n stares in horror. “Dad? You're a…”

            “A Kranng Droid!” Raphael’s voice suddenly cut in as he rushed to the scene and placed himself securely between Y/n and her father. “Stay away from him, Mockingbird!” 

            “Wait! Let me explain.” 

            “You better explain.” The turtle in red hissed.

            From beside them, Leonardo took down another bot before glaring towards the doctor. “And if you're on our side, do it while killing more of your buddies.”

            “I’m not a Kranng!” Dr. L/n shouted desperately. “They’ve simply upgraded me. Perfectly preserved my mind for their use, but it’s been decades since they first brought me here.”

            “Decades?” Y/n started her eyes finally leaving her fathers for a split second as she saw an approaching enemy form over his shoulder. Acting fast she threw a Kunai at it, the blade embedding it directly into the alien’s head.  “I knew something had to be up. You look too young for the time differential.” 

            “They began upgrading me when my body began to deteriorate. It started like a normal knee replacement, then they figured out their technology worked in my body.” He explained. “They continued to outfit me until I stopped aging entirely.” 

            “So, you're a cyborg?” Raphael grunted out as he turned to his next droid. 

            “That’s a decent summary, yes.” 

            “So that’s how you look so young despite the time, and how you're breathing their atmosphere without filtration.” Y/n huffed while turning away. Her mind was racing; her stomach had tied itself in knots. 

            “Yes.” He then reaches for Y/n and grabs her shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eyes.. “Please Darling, I need you to believe me. I’m still your father.” 

            “I…” she hesitates, searching his eyes, seeing the desperation for her to understand. For her to believe him.. “God this is too much to take in. I’ve spent the last two years on earth thinking in your head only to find out that you’ve been living as a captive in an alien dimension. You have to admit that is completely fucking insane, and that this is not the right time to be processing all of this.” 

            Suddenly all the portals around them started to close and they heard Mikey shout over the chaos. “Thirty seconds!”

            “Let's go!”

            Not knowing that to think Y/n chose to let instinct replay, and as she ran, she reached for her father’s wrist. “Come on dad! Let's go!”

            “No,” The man replied as he pulled his hand out of Y/n’s grip. “Someone has to stay and make sure everything works out.”

            “But dad…” Y/n started, looking desperately to where her teammates were slowly disappearing though the only open portal, only a few feet away from them.

            “Go with the others. Stay safe.” He urged her, leading her into a few steps backwards until Y/n dug in her heels.

            “Come with us!” She begged. “Please! There is still so much I don't understand. My mind hasn't stopped racing, I need your help. please.”

            “Darling, I know you can handle this. Just look at the magnificent woman you've become. There is nothing you can’t do, nothing you can’t understand, as long as you put your mind to it.” Her father replied with a safe smile. “Go.” 

            Before Y/n could argue any more, Dr. L/n shoved her backwards, sending her flying through the portal just as Mikey swung though. She screamed for him as she stumbled backwards and came falling towards New York with the closing portal as the center of her attention. She watched as an explosion went off, and finally her contact with her father was cut off. 

            The relation of what this mean hit her harder than the popping of her arm as Leo hastily caught her, to make sure she didn’t plummet down the streets of New York. The air was knocked out of her from catch and subsequent pull to Leo's chest, but her recovery provided the leader only a moment to adjust his grip before the hot girl in his arms started scrambling to get away. Desperately she clawed at the building until she was able to crawl onto the rooftop, where she simply stood staring at where the portal once was. It was at that moment that silent tears started to roll down her cheeks. 

            “That power surge must have taken out their whole facility…”

            “And everyone inside.” Y/n whimpered. All of those krang were gone… but so was her father. After finally getting him back she lost him just as fast.

            “The invasion will be set back for months.” Donatello hummed, as he placed a hand on Y/n’s shoulder, clearly trying to show some sort of positive, though he knew it was pointless. 

            “Yeah but how long is that with the time differential thing?” Raphael asked. 

            “I don’t know. Hours? Maybe a day.” The turtle in purple shrugged. 

            Leonardo stepped up.  “Guy’s there's a storm coming. Are we ready to fight?” At his question, he reached out for Y/n and lifted her chin so that she looked at him. 

            She was crying but there wasn’t sadness in her eyes. No. It was unfiltered rage, and he knew why. At this point in her life the Kranng have taken everything from her. Her job at TCRI, her home, her father. Y/n had every right to be angry. 

            And it would appear that it was directed in the right direction since as soon as her and Leo’s eyes met, she growled. “Let's kill those monsters.”

Chapter Text

            “Michelangelo!  I swear to God, I just cleaned this room. How on earth did you already wreck it?” 

            Oh boy, that was never a good thing to hear first thing in the morning. Especially not when it was followed by the scream of the youngest turtle as he ran away from the woman of the house. The three remaining brothers, who were all busying themselves in the living area, looked up and exchanged worried glances before glancing towards the kitchen, where the sound had echoed from. 

            “I’m sorry!” Mikey cried out as he entered the main room. “Leo! Help!”

            Hot on his heels was Y/n, a fire burning in her eyes that effectively heated her voice. “Get your little green ass back here and clean up this mess! I don’t have time to deal with your shit!”

            “Huh, looks like the Roomba has upgraded,” Raphael grumbled as he looked up from his magazine to get a better look at the scene, just in time to see his little brother rush past in a fit of panic. 

            “Yeah… she has more knives now.” Donatello added eyes followed Y/n as she reached behind her back to unsheathe her new Tanto. “Great move, Leo.”

            “Look, Splinter and I have been planning on giving her that tanto since she first got her kunai. I was just holding off, so she didn’t get overwhelmed and well, we don’t exactly have the time to put it off anymore.” Their leader sighed as he too began to watch the chase. He knew he should step in, his girlfriend was about to kill his brother, but at the same time this was actually pretty good stamina training. He watched silently as Y/n pushed forward before jumping, successfully landing herself onto Mikey’s back causing the youngest turtle to scream out again. “She took to it really well.”

            Donnie jumped as the pair landed hard on the ground, the impact being enough to knock the air out of Y/n giving Mikey a chance to wiggle away, but his head start was nothing like it was before, the girl was hot on his heels in a matter of seconds. “Well yeah, at the moment she is being driven by pure vexation.”

            “I don’t know about that, but I am almost certain she’s going to deshell Mikey if she catches him.” Raphael added as Y/n once again caught his little brother. This time she had used her free hand and chi-blocking techniques to immobilize Mikey’s leg making him trip and fall. Once down she jumped onto him and quickly took out his arms in a similar fashion before pressing her tanto to his throat with a glare.

            “I’ll deal with it.” Leonardo finally grasped as he jumped the back of the couch and walked over to the scene. Moving fast he scooped the girl into his arms and held her securely against his chest. “Alright Finch, let him up. I’m sure he’ll clean up his mess as soon as he gets feeling back in his arms.”

            “He can clean it with his teeth.” Y/n hissed as she struggled against her boyfriend’s grip.

            “Down girl.” Leonardo chastised teasingly before hardening his gaze towards his brother. “Mikey, go. Now.”

            “That room better look better than it was last night by the time I got back in there.” Y/n shouted as the youngest turtle scrambled to his feet and retreated out of the room, one numb leg dragging behind him pitifully..

            “Yes ma’am!” 

            “Okay, he's going, now drop the knife.” Leonardo said, turning his attention back to Y/n who had slowly gone placid against him. At his comment however, her body stiffened for a moment, before once again her muscles relaxed and her tanto clambered to the ground. “There ya go. Let's save that energy or the Kranng.”

            “Slimy little bastards.” The girl grumbled under her breath as she all but nuzzled into Leonardo in an attempt to soak in the comfort he was providing her.

            Y/n’s week had been hell, and Leo felt like he couldn’t do anything but watch as his girlfriend silently sped through the grieving process for her father, for the second time in her life. It certainly didn’t help that as Y/n attempted to work through her emotional turmoil she was worrying about when exactly the Kranng were going to make their grand entrance. To make things even worse, everyone around her was also panicking. Noone was sure of the future, and it was making stress levels in the lair rise. 

            The only saving grace Y/n had been the sheer amount of training that was being assigned to her. It was grueling work, but necessary, and also served as a wonderful distraction. After losing more kunai in dimension X than she wanted to talk about, Y/n spoke to Leo about upping her arsenal. This was the only push he needed to present his girlfriend with her secondary weapon. 

            It was something he and master splinter had intended on giving her since the beginning, but prior to the kranng’s plan to invade, they were putting it off. Both men were worried about overwhelming the girl with too many weapons at the start, but now, there was no more time to waste, and Y/n was clearly showing that she was ready for something new. So, both of her masters sat down with her and presented her a tanto, wrapped in china rose cloth with an additional floral ribbon woven into the hilt. Then she began her training full force. Y/n was far from a master of the art, but her determination and confidence pushed her far enough that the girl was about to hold her ground with her tanto in hand. 

            When she isn’t training, or cleaning around the lair, y/n could be found in Donnie’s lab, working on the turtle mech. From the outside looking in, y/n looked on the edge of a mental breakdown. She was keeping busy. Many times, the boys saw her silently crying as she worked, mind no doubt working though her father’s death, but they learned last that mentioning that was the fastest way to getting a tanto pressed against their throat. Despite the tears, despite the anger, y/n pressed on, forcing herself to keep moving as if stopping would make her drown. 

            Leo knew this, and he felt helpless.

            He too was busy. As the leader, his responsibilities were stacking up as they prepared for the upcoming invasion. He had to make sure everyone was ready, Y/n was properly trained, a plan was laid out along with multiple back-ups, etc. etc. It was wearing him thin, but Leo would be damned if he let anyone around him know that. So instead, he focused on masking his stress by taking care of the others, most importantly Y/n. 

            The only way he could think to help her however, since Y/n adamantly refused to talk about anything going on inside her head, was to hold her. So, every night, he made sure to drag her to bed early, and just hold her. He would lead her to their room, let her change and crawl into bed before he followed her under the covers and instantly pulled Y/n against his plastron. It didn't take him long to notice that whenever he pulled Y/n in, the girl’s entire body relaxed, and she simply became dead weight until sleep took her.

            This relaxed state was quickly taking over Y/n as she leaned back against Leo, not caring in the slightest that she was being restrained. She just wanted to be held, to be comforted, to feel safe. Leo took note of this and shifted his hold to be less of a lock and more of a gentle hold. With a few careful breaths, the rise and fall of his chest became steady, and the turtle nuzzled against Y/n’s hair.

            “I know how hard you work to keep the lair clean, and we all appreciate it, but you can’t go attacking people because of a mess.” He whispered to her, knowing that he couldn’t completely ignore what had just transpired. “Did you even try asking him to just clean up after himself before making chase?”

            “No.” Y/n admitted pitifully. “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s okay, everyone is one edge.” Leonardo mumbled against her hair before kissing her head and loosening his grip. “Go head to our room, I'll meet you there. You need to destress.” 

            Y/n took in a shaky breath before nodding, and reluctantly stepping out of Leo’s arms. Without looking back, she went straight for the bedrooms. It was early. Hardly four in the afternoon, but y/n couldn’t find it in herself to care. Leo was right, she needed to destress, and she wanted Leo. So, she wasn’t going to argue if they were going to get even a few fleeting moments of time alone together.

            Leo watched her go for a moment before turning to his brothers. “I’m gonna try to find some way to help her unwind, clearly she’s a bit too pent up for anyone's good. I don’t know if it’s gonna take meditations or a nap or…” Their leader trailed off as his mind went blank. Frustrated, he groaned. “God, I don't know, but the point is it might take a while. Raph if you can make sure Mikey actually cleans up then the three of you busy yourselves with training or something. Just, please be productive while I'm handling this.”

            “Mockingbird isn’t the only one who is tightly strung.” Raph commented as he stood and stretched out. As his arms fell, the turtle in red looked towards his older brother, with a genuine look of concern in his eyes. “You doing alright, fearless?” 

            The eldest turtle took a moment to seemingly think about his brother’s question before he shook his head. “I’ll be fine, as long as you guys can keep being productive without me.” 

            “We can handle it Leo, go help Y/n.” Donnie said, tone holding no room for doubt. 

            A final nod, and Leo was gone, following the path Y/n took to their bedroom, and entering without hesitation. He couldn't stop his sigh when his eyes landed on Y/n’s pacing form. As she moved back and forth over the limited floor space of the room, she slowly shed her layers. First her tanto went on the bedside table, then her kunai on the dresser. Belts in the closet, hoodie on the floor, and now she was tugging at her tank top, as if touching her skin was causing an adverse reaction. It was, admittedly, kinda sad to watch. 

            So, with careful steps, moved forwards, shutting the door behind him as he got closer to Y/n. Once she was in reach, he grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to halt and look up at him. Her eyes were wide and nervous, and her lips were pulled into a pout. She looked similar to a toddler preparing for punishment.

            “I guess I’m gonna have to do like fifty push-ups or give up my tanto or something…” Y/n muttered, confirming her boyfriend’s suspicions. She thought she was being punished.

            “No, I’m not going to punish you. Sit down on the bed and just take a deep breath okay,” Leonardo instructed and to his surprise, Y/n obeyed. The girl crawled onto the center of their bed and sat on her knees with her back towards the room. From his position the turtle could see her shoulders rising and falling with deep breaths until finally a fraction of her tension fell away. “There ya go.”

            Following her trail, Leo crawled into the bed, and sat being Y/n, having to spread his legs out for her to sit behind them so that he wouldn’t fall off the bed. He placed a single hand on the center of her back at first, and simply took a moment to feel her breathing. She was focusing so hard on keeping it steady, that the turtle began to count it out in his head. In for four, out for four. In a whisper he repeated his praise, while lifting his other hand to her shoulder. 

            Gently, he began rubbing the junction of her neck and shoulder, until more of her tension melted away. Lifting his other hand, Leo did the same on her other side, and soon enough, Y/n was leaning back against his touch.

            “I know everything has been a lot lately, and I know it’s much easier said than done, but you need to find some sort of outlet.” Leonardo coaxed as he continued to rub at her shoulders. “Something that helps you relax.”

            “I have something that helps me relax.” Y/n muttered in return as she looked over her shoulder to him. “I have you.”

            He smiled. He couldn’t help it, that was as sweet as it was cheesy. When y/n noticed the tug of his lips, she too managed a smile. The girl then began to shift her weight until she fell back with her head on the pillows, arms reaching out for Leo, grabbing at the air to beckon him. Unable to disobey her, he moved forward until he was in reach. Y/n then grabbed the front of his shell and tugged causing Leo to stumble. Hastily, he threw his arms out, hands planting on either side of Y/n’s head.

            With wide eyes he looked down at her, watching as she giggled. The sound, and expression was a nice reprieve from the tired sighs he was growing accustomed to. Leo was about to join in, when Y/n’s released his shell to reach for his cheeks. She dragged her fingertips across his scales before beginning a patterned tap, tap, tap, against his cheek bones. 

            Leo couldn’t help but to lean into her touch as Y/n hummed. “I’ve been researching your breed, Francoeur.” 

            “Have you?” He asked breathlessly, feeling as if he was being pulled into a gentle haze with her tap, tap tap. 

            Y/n hummed again, this time in recognition. “Why didn’t you tell me what this means?”

            “What what means?” Leo hummed as Y/n’s potter suddenly changed from left of a tap to more of a flutter. 

            “Finger tappies.” She replied. “It’s how red-eared sliders show interest in mates. I admitted that I first did it because I liked how it helped you focus on me but now…”

            “Now?”

            “Leonardo.” She hummed lovely as her eyes scanned his, her fingers continuing their light tippy tapping on his cheeks. “I want to sleep with you.” 

            Leo.exe has malfunctioned. His hold body went stiff as a sharp buzz broke through his tap fueled haze. “Wait, what?” he finally managed to choke out.

            “I want to sleep with you. Like. Sex.” Y/n explained simply earning herself a few blinks before Leo sat back on his knees, staring at her like she was crazy.

            “Yeah, I know what that means. But um…finch you know I’m not… it’s not… I’m not human.” Ok that came out with less grace than intended, but Leo couldn’t help it. 

            This was the LAST thing he expected to be talking about tonight. Not that he hadn’t been thinking about it. I mean, how couldn’t he? He had a beautiful woman  in his bed, cuddled up next to him every night. To make things even better, that beautiful girl was willing to be in a romantic relationship with him. Like any healthy twenty-two-year-old man, sex had crossed his mind. Of course, this was quickly followed by the turtle human conundrum that he was never going to talk to his brother about because, hell no. He didn’t care how smart Donatello was, he was not dragging his little brother into his sex life, or lack thereof.

            “Really? I couldn’t tell.” Y/n replied sarcastically, breaking his thoughts as she too sat up. “Seriously Leo, if I cared about that we wouldn’t be dating.”

            “No! I know you know that, but what I mean is, my um…” God, how was he going to explain this one. “My bits… are different.”

            It was Y/n’s turn to blink owlishly for a moment before her expression changed to one that read as thoroughly, unimpressed. “Uh yeah, I kinda figured.”

            “You figured?” Leo squeaked, voice behind embarrassingly high as his face began to feel warm. If she figured, as she said, did that mean she had been thinking about this too?

            “Leo, you're a giant turtle who never wears clothes. Not only would it be weird as hell if you had a human dick, but I'm pretty sure I would have noticed by now.” Y/n explained. “You have a cloaca right?”

            “Yes…” Leo replied hesitantly, mind suddenly reminding him that this girl’s father studied reptiles for a living so no duh she would know about his bits, as he so gracefully put it.

            “OK, so just a small extra step of coaxing you out then I'm assuming we can go about this the standard way.” the girl shrugged as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Then her expression changed, as Y/n looked Leo straight in the eye, gaze demanding his full attention.  “Seriously though, if you have any reservations, you can tell me. I won’t be angry with you.”

            “No!” Leo all but shouted as he held Y/n’s hand firmly to his cheek. “I mean, I want to too.”

            A bright smile quickly took over Y/n’s face as she giggled. “Then let's do it,”

            “Yeah,” Leo replied with just as much joy before leaving forward to press a kiss against Y/n’s lips. “Full disclosure, I have no idea where to go from here.”

            “I think a good first step would be to keep kissing me.” Y/n hummed leaning back up towards her turtle

            “Gladly.”

***

            “Alright, I'll call it.” Y/n giggled as she nuzzled her nose against Leo’s neck, enjoying how the cool surface of his shell felt against her heated skin. “That was the most successful distressing technique yet.”

            “Agreed.” Leo hummed while tugging her impossibly closer to him, all too pleased by what had just transpired. “I guess we’ll just have to do it more often.”

            “Don’t worry Francoeur, I plan on locking you in the room for at least 24 hours after we save the world.” The girl replied while pressing a kiss against his skin. “It’s gonna be our personal celebration.”

            “That sounds perfect.” he replied with a chur. “For now, though, this is good.”

            Y/n couldn’t agree more. This was good. Hell, this was perfect. Laying against Leo, feeling her bare skin against him. The love and trust that surrounded them like a perfectly weighted blanket, the contrasts between their very beings on display, yet feeling as wonderful as ever. Leo’s hard body against Y/n’s plush one, his rough scaled fingers gliding up and down the smooth skin of her back. Even the feeling of Leo tugging on the ends of Y/n’s now knotted hair while her fingertips glided across the skin of Leo’s face that was usually hidden by his mask. This feeling, this moment, was what she wanted. What she needed.

            “Agh,” y/n suddenly groaned as she practically pried her head off of Leo’s shoulder, an irritating thought coming to mind. “I have to make fucking dinner.”

            Leo couldn’t stop his chuckle as he pulled Y/n back against him and kissed her head. “No way. We are ordering pizza.”

            “I’ll still have to pick that up.” Y/n whined.

            “I’ll send Mikey.” 

            “Francoeur.” She sighed, not really in the mood to argue about this.

            “You're staying right here Finch,” He commanded. “I want to lay here and hold you for as long as I can. Besides, I already ordered it and texted Mikey to go grab it.”

            Y/n couldn’t help her smile as she cuddled back down. “Whatever you say Mr. Leader Sir.”

            They both laughed at her words before settling back in. together they laid in silence for at least an hour, just enjoying each other, enjoying being relaxed and away from the chaos around them. It truly was a perfect, peaceful moment. 

            And then that moment ended.

            The sounds of a whooping young man echoed through the lair making them both groan. Casey was here, which means it was probably around 4:30, time for Raph to go out and patrol for Karai. 

            Forcing themselves out of bed, Y/n started to get dressed in training gear, leggings and a tank top along with her sheaths and knives, while Leo tied back on his mask and started to gather his own belts, pads and weapons. From their room they could hear Casey talking to someone, his voice carrying through the lair with ease. It was loud, and far too joyous for the current climate of their lives, but then again, until a few moments ago Leo and Y/n were also too calm for the world around them. 

            As they approached the door the pair exchanged a loving glance before Leo leaned down, tiling Y/n’s chin up so that he could easily palace a kiss against her lips. It was a parting kiss. One that needed, because they both knew the second they walked out of this room, the escape they had created would fade away and be replaced with high-speed tension. 

            Stealing a breath, Y/n opened the door and took the plunge. Silently she led Leo to the living room where Raph and Casey were talking while Raph gathered the last of his gear. The men glanced towards the couple and nodded in recognition before continuing their conversation about where they should look first.

            “Just remember to try and stay as out of sight as possible Raph, it’s still light out.” Leo warned, making his little brother groan.

            “I get it Leo, I'm not a hatchling.” Raph grumbled. 

            “He’s just looking out for you Hot head,” Y/n huffed. “Please text us if you run into any Kranng too, I’ll be heading to the lab here in a second to check the radars.”

            Raphael hummed in acknowledgement before turning fully to the girl and his brother. “You too seem calmer, what the hell did you two do in there for two hours.” 

            The question caused both Leo and Y/n to stand a bit straighter while exchanging an uneasy look. The good news is, if Raph doesn’t already know then the noise canceling that Y/n and Donnie installed onto the bedrooms works better than expected, the bad news is, neither of them were particularly keen on the idea of telling the turtle in red that they had just had sex. When they looked back to the turtle in question, he seemed to just be waiting expectantly, until Casey approached, leaning on his shoulder as he studied the couple.

            “I think I might have an idea.” Casey cut in with a smirk earning him a confused glance from Y/n until he pointed towards his shoulder. Y/n’s eyes became comically wide as she raised her hand and covered the bite mark that Leo had apparently left behind. “Ha! Home run Leonardo.”

            “Casey, shut up.” Y/n whined face growing red as the boy started to laugh.

            “Homerun?” Raph asked as the gear in his head started to turn. The moment the connection was made however his face morphed into a grimace “Ugh! Nope, I'm leaving.”

            This meant that Raphael headed towards the exit with Casey trailing behind him. “Haha, wait up dude!”

            “I’m going to kill you, Casey Jones!” Y/n screeched after them, voice tight with embarrassment.

            “Well, it could have been a lot worse.” Leo said, clearing in an attempt to comfort Y/n, though he was simply glad that his face couldn’t get red in the same way Y/n’s could, or else he too would be a blushing mess.

            “I guess you're right.” This girlfriend sighed, before turning on her heel and patting his arm. “Let's head to the lab, I really do need to look at those radars and you should probably start bouncing some strategies off of Donnie.”

***

            “You're going to wear a hole in the floor Francoeur.” Y/n muttered without looking away from the computer in front of her. 

            Their calm was gone. Mike had returned with the pizza authority minutes ago and so far; the orange turtle was the only one who had actually touched it. Donnie and Y/n were both too busy slaving away at their computers, and Leo was too busy pacing to eat. Tensions were high again, and Y/n was swiftly being reminded as to why she and Leo had to retreat to their room in the first place. She was feeling the urge to act out irrationally and stab someone. She was angry, and scared, and tired, and every little thing was adding to a slowly building mountain of overstimulation in her mind. 

            “You think he’s bad,” Donnie cut in as he reached blindly for a slice of pizza. He went to take a bite only to groan and toss it across the room instead. “Ugh, I’m so worried I can't even eat.”

            “Me too, totally.” Mikey replied as he caught the flying slice of pizza and took a bite. 

            It was evident that his usually empty headedness was coming in handy when it came to his stress levels. The youngest turtle was seemingly unaffected, still being able to scarf down entire pizzas on his own and make continuous messes for the others to clean up.  Y/n had a sarcastic rebuttal on the tip of her tongue, but it faded away as soon as the family’s patriarch walked into the lab.

            “You have a right to be concerned.” Master Splinter started, gaining everyone's attention.  “The Kranng invasion in imminent. What plans do you have to stop it.”

            “I give you our latest invention.” Donnie began to answer his father with a smile, tossing an arm across Y/n’s shoulders to leave her over to their bulletin board where their latest blueprint was displayed. “The turtle mech.”

            “I’ll admit it, when Donnie dreams he dreams big.” the girl shrugged before pointing at various features that were installed in their newest piece of technology. “The mech is fully armed with rockets, flame throwers, and an electric harpoon.”

            The turtle in purple beamed as the explanation before closing with the joke he had been formulating for an embarrassing amount of time. “It’s guaranteed to stop a massive Kranng invasion army. Or your money back.” 

            “Giant robots are awesome!”  Mikey celebrated, the joke clearly not landing, but he seemed happy, nonetheless. “I vote turtle mech.” 

            Leo, however, was not as excited and instantly stated his concerns. “But that thing is not even ready, it could damage New York more than help it.”

            “It’s ready!” Donatello argued. “Enough.”

            Y/n glanced between them uneasily before trying to state a bit of a verbal compromise. “The big thing is we haven’t been able to fully test it. Theoretically all the components should be functional.” 

            “There's gotta be another way.” The leader in blue sighed. “We need to establish a second base, outside the city.”

            “There’s no time for that Leo, the turtle mech is solid.”  Donnie argued back, anger clearly rising. “If i were leader I’d–”

            “But you're not leader, Donnie! I am.” 

            “Oh snap.” Mikey interjected, but it was ignored.

            “Enough!” Master splinter shouted, his voice managing to separate his sons. “Your egos fight one another when we should be preparing to fight the Kranng.” 

            “If i might say my peace.” Y/n finally began, feeling that this might be her only opening to say what she needed. “You both have a point. Having a second base to retreat to is definitely the safest option, but it does little in the way of protecting New York. On the other hand, the turtle mech is just the type of mega weapon we need but, like it or not, it’s still in beta. I think the best option will be to try and either, A. slow down the Kranng immediately with the turtle mech, but accept that we too will be adding to the damage, or B. Take the loss against the Kranng initially while we retreat and regroup before launching a full-scale attack later. Either way, we will be losing a lot of lives, and likely time.’ 

            Master splinter hummed at her words. “Perhaps it would be best to lose the battle but win the war.”

            “But sensei, if there is a chance of winning the battle and the war in one go it would be with the mech.” Donnie tried to argue but Leo just growled.

            “You know what, let's all just leave the lab and try to regain our heads.” He all but hissed before turning on his heel and storming out of the lab. 

            Donatello was hot off his heels, already arguing his point while  Mikey and y/n exchanged a look. With a sigh they followed the others, master splinter not far behind. This argument seemed like it would take up a lot of time. Time that they just didn’t have available to them, but clearly interjecting will do nothing. 

            “Leo, the turtle mech is our only answer, be reasonable.” Donnie shouted as he entered the living room.

            Turning on his heel with a groan Leo glared at his younger brother. “I am being reasonable, we need a second base, Donnie. Period.” 

            It was clear that Donnie wanted to argue more, but before he could, April came sprinting into the lair, only she wasn't alone. Standing beside their friend was another girl who was currently crawling around searching for her lost pair of glasses. Everyone’s eyes widened. Not only had April entered like a chicken with hit’s head cut off but she brought a stranger.

            “Guys!” April began before looking a bit sheepish. “I’m sorry about this. But Footbots were after us, and Erma here is really good at keeping secrets and uh–”

            “April, you have brought a stranger. Here?” master splinter cut her off, voicing the concern they were all feeling in the moment. 

            “Don’t worry master splinter, she’s cool.” the girl tried to justify as her friend finally stood up and put back on her glasses. “Right Erma?”

            The brown-haired girl stared wide eyed at the group and blinked a few times before speaking. “T-turtles?” 

            Y/n inhaled sharply. “Oh boy, here it comes.”

            Leo glanced at his girlfriend, clearly feeling similarly about the situation, before he slowly approached the newcomer. “Um, miss, I know we look kinda different but we're not gonna hurt you.”

            “Turtles, turtles.” The girl replied as her whole body twitched.

            I was weird. Beyond weird, and only got worse and the girl continued to repeat the word and all but have a seizure while standing near the entrance. It was then that the twitching got worse, and without warning Erma’s neck extended. Rather than skin, a metal rod was connecting her head to her body. Her head then began spinning in circles and shouting like a tornado siren.

            “Holy chalupa!” Mikey screamed

            “Turtles! Turtles! Turtles!” Erma continued as her body continued to break apart and grow, revealing more and more robot parts until finally, out of her stomach, appeared the face of a laughing purple alien.

            “April, you’ve gotta like, pick your friends more carefully.” Mikey chastised nervously as they all took a few steps back. 

            April simply gasped at first before attempting to state her panic. “Oh my gosh, Erma was a–”

            “Kranng!” the alien shouted at them with an evil grin as he picked up the nearby pinball machine and threw it at the group. “Lowly insects, kneel before the genius of Kranng-subprime, the greatest spy in dimension X! The discovery of the lair was all that was needed, to launch a full-scale invasion!”

            “Well shit.” Y/n muttered, hand reaching behind her to girl her tanto just as portals started to appear and open all around the lair. 

            “This can’t be good.” Mikey whimpered as everyone began backing up together, preparing to fight. 

            It was then that Y/n realized that other than herself, only April had a weapon available, as she pulled her tessen from her back pocket. Not exactly a great start, but it would have to do. Y/n felt Leo’s hand graze her thigh, and from the corner of her eye noticed that he was grabbing a kunai from its sheath. The turtle in blue then shouted for everyone to attack and the group was quick to obey.

            Splitting up, the team started chagrin at the ever-growing number of Kranng while simultaneously dodging blaster fire. With the battle beginning, Y/n was struggling to find any hope of success, for every time she took down a droid another was quick to take its place in fighting her. With a glance toward the other human, she was April in a similar situation while the boys were all scrambling to find anything to use as a weapon. 

            Destroying another three bots, Y/n heard a rush of air past her ear. Following the sound, she saw one of her kunai embedded into a Kranng brain and instantly knew Leo had to throw the weapon to protect her. She followed the trail in which it came, and her eyes widened. Leo had a small training sword in hand and was trying to fend off a bot, but the weapon was dull and hardly dented the metal exterior. 

            “Hey sponge for brains!” she screams while toward Leo, and the Kranng. Jumping onto the enemy, she used her tanto to take out the bot before stomping on the alien itself as it tried to escape. “Stay the fuck away from my family.”

            As a bit of overkill, she flew a kunai down into the alien, killing it instantly.  Before she could do anything else, her arm was grabbed, and Y/n soon found herself pinned between Leo and a pillar while blaster fire rushed past them. She squeezed shut her eyes as her hands found Leo’s chest, feeling his heartbeat rapidly though his shell. 

            Together they panted for breath as the blaster fire continued, leaving them trapped. “Be honest, how screwed are we?” Y/n asked as he eyes met Leo’s

            “You do not want to know.” the leader admitted, before glancing back at Y/n leg. “Keep your tanto close, I'm gonna take your kunai.”

            “Go for it.” Y/n said with a nod and waited until Leo had grabbed the remaining throwing knives to roll out of his arms and back out into the battle, taking town another Kranng for that Leo would have an opening to run out.

            Back in the fight she focused to the best of her ability, taking down droid after droid, until she finally felt as if she could stare a moment to breath and scan the area. As she did she saw that Mikey had at some  point gotten to his room to get his weapons, and Leo still had a single kunai in hand, but Donnie was comely unarmed. Y/n then looked for April and saw her take out her own bot using her tessen. Nodding to herself, Y/n started on her way towards Donnie only to be stopped and tackled to the ground.

            She grunted when she hit the ground and prepared to argue but was cut off when Erma's head with a sword sticking out of it landed in front of her. So  instead with wide eyes she looked over her shoulder to see it was Leo who tackled her. Saying her thanks, the pair hurried to their feet, and Leo went for his words.

            “Go! Escape!” Master splinter’s voice echoed over the chaos making everyone turn as he threw Donnie’s staff to him as well as Leo’s second sword. “I will hold them off!”

            “We’re not leaving you.” Leonardo argued as he caught his second sword.

            “I have a plan! Go! Now!” His father shouted in return leaving no room for argument.

            “Come on,” Donnie jumped in. “Head to the Shellraiser.”

            Everyone then began to run towards their escape vehicle, when without warning rockets flew past their heads as Kranng-subprime shouted in their direction. “You go nowhere.”

            The rockets lodged into the side of the Shellraiser before suddenly exploding, completely destroying the Shellraiser. “My Baby!” Donnie cried.

            “Plan B?” Y/n asked nervously.

            Leo nodded and gripped her shoulder, turning her around. “Everyone, follow me!”

            Obediently, the group followed Leo through the sewer tunnels until the sudden of blasters faded from their ears. Guilt bubbled in their stomachs from leaving Master Splinter, but all of them knew the man could handle himself. If he told them to run, he must truly have some plan of attack and just wanted to keep them safe. This thought pattern helped press them on until they suddenly reached a fork in the tunnels.

            “Which way?”

            Donnie was first to speak “To the left, that will lead us to the turtle mech.

            “No,” Leo said sternly. “We gotta find Raph and Casey first.”

            “We can find them in the mech!”

            “It’s too slow.”

            “You're the one who's too slow, you're leading us into disaster.”

            “I’m doing what splinter would want us to do.”

            “Uh guys!?” Mikey warned, interrupting his older brother’s bickering as a portal started to open behind them. 

            Out from the portals came out another battalion of Kranng droids that the team instantly took to fighting. Luckily this battle was a match they were much more accustomed to. Or it was until Donnie got hit in the arm with blaster fire. Y/n’s eyes widened when she saw him get hit, but she couldn't help, not yet. The Kranng had managed to split their party down the middle. She and Leo were on one side while the others were stuck together near the left tunnel. 

            “Run, lead the others away.” Leonardo ordered as he fended off the Kranng closest to him. 

            “No, we can’t leave you too.” Mikey tried to argue as he took out his next droid.

            “Just do it!” His older brother commanded then glanced at Y/n. “I’ll try to make an opening for you.”

            The girl in question simply shook her head. “I’m coming with you,” 

            “No Finch, go with the others.” 

            “Like hell,” She bit back while stabbing an alien. “I’m sticking with you.” 

            There was a look in Leo’s eyes saying he wanted to argue, but the glance he got in return showed that it was fruitless, so while pushing away the Kranng he was against the turtle grabbed Y/n hand and started to rush down the right tunnel. “Fine, just stay close.” he instructed before shouting over his shoulder. “Hey Kranng! Over here!” 

            “Just try to catch us!” Y/n screamed as well, then the pair took off like a flash, rushing until they got to the next intersection.

            Looking around Y/n recognize this place, and the plethora of Kranng parts. It was the palace they found when Slash was taking out Kranng with the Newtralizer. Glancing at the piece’s Y/n tried to find somewhere safe to stand, making sure to take careful note of the sounds of blasters not far behind them. Looking towards Leo, she silently asked what the plan was, and to her surprise he simply ruined his back to her and crouched down.

            “Get on and hold tight.” he instructed, and Y/n quickly obeyed.

            With her grip secure, the turtle skillfully scaled the walls until he was holding onto piles that ran along the top of the tunnel. As gently as he could, he lifted his back. Y/n soon found herself wedged between the roof of the tunnel and Leonardo’s shell. Silently she watched as Leo adjusted his girl to keep them both lodged and Y/n did the only thing she could think. Leaning her head down she buried her head against the turtle’s neck. She then rearranged her tanto in her hand so that she was holding it with the blade pointed down. It wouldn’t be much of an attack, but worst comes to it she could drop the blade and at least get a small amount of damage.

            A moment after they had completely settled the metal footfalls were upon them and the Kranng soldiers who had been cheating them entered the tunnel, standing on their fallen comrades as they scanned the area. Y/n held her breath to stay as quiet as possible when the droid stood directly below them and spoke.

            “Kranng still has no sign of turtles.” One of them said,

            “We must hurry Kranng and obtain the turtles for the one called shredder.” the other said before the pair walked away. 

            Y/n hummed curiously against Leo’s throat as they waited for the Kranng to leave. Once he deemed their enemies far enough away, Leo climbed down, placing Y/n in a nearby tunnel. The pair exchanged nervous looks as they sheathed their weapons and thought about what they just overheard.

            “Shredder?”  Y/n asked uncomfortably. “What are the Kranng doing with him?”

            “This cannot be good.” Leo muttered in response before climbing up next to him. “Let's hurry back this way, there is an exit.” 

            With a nod they were off the way they had come. When they made it to the interaction, they noticed that the portal was now gone, as was the device, and the only Kranng still in the area were dead or dying. It was an uneasy sight, but better than most alternatives. At least this means the others got away. 

            Moving towards the left tunnel, Y/n and Leo ran until they got to a ladder. Climbing out of the sewer, the pair stuck to the ally walls watching in horror as they saw the city being overruled by Kranng. Things had escalated so quickly. They knew that this must mean that the Kranng attacked the liar and the city proper at the same time.

            “You should go find the others.” Leonardo whispered to Y/n breaking her from her thoughts.

            “I told you earlier, I'm not leaving you Francoeur.” The girl bickered as she turned to him. When she saw that his expression held no anger, and only concern she sighed. Reaching up, Y/n used the font of Leo’s shell to pull him down until she could place their foreheads against one another. “No matter what, I'm with you till the end.” 

            “I can’t talk you out of it?” The turtle asked.

            “No, you can’t.” Y/n hummed then pressed their lips together in a chase kiss.

            “No matter what happens, I need you to remember something.” Leo spoke as soon as they separated. He then carefully lifted the girls chin so that their eyes locked as he said his final promise. “I love you, Y/n.” 

            Her heart fluttered at the words even though she had now heard them time and time again. “I love you too, Leonardo.”

            With one final kiss the pair drew their weapons and prepared to leave the alley. Almost instantly they were attacked by Footbots. The battle felt easy. With booths only taking one or two at a time, the pair took them out with ease and kept moving until they finally managed to hide safely in a shipping yard. 

            They exchanged a glance before Leo gave simple instructions. Split up and scout the area. Y/n nodded and took off, staying as silent as possible as she explored. When he stopped she could hear the bots moving nearby, so she glanced around the corner. There was one not a foot away from her. Moving fast, she took out the foot bot and let its body fall before moving forward. Around the next corner were too many for her to defeat, then right after, five. They were multiplying, but still, she wasn’t slowing down. Fighting smart, Y/n moved in a way that caused the bots to hit each other, helping her win her fights one after the other.

            Before long she turned another corner to see Leo on the high ground surrounded by at least two dozen soldiers. His eyes were white, but still glanced over to her to give a quick nod. That was her signal. Y/n rushed in without another command and started to take down bots while Leo attacked them head on. Together, they defeated them all and looked back at each other from across their makeshift battlefield. Y/n was far more out of breath than Leo, but they were both mostly unharmed, with only dirt and few red impact burns marking their skin. 

            As they caught their breath, Leonardo spotted something that made his stand straighter. “Oh no.”

            This was the only warning Y/n got before a searing pain shot through her arm causing her to crumble forward. She shouted from the impact and could hear Leo calling her name. Lifting her head the girl saw arrows raining down, and instantly knew that she had been hit by one. As Leo continued to jump and dodge the fire, she hurried to tuck herself behind one of the fence walls. Biting her lip, she reached behind her and grabbed the arrow. 

            “Okay, deep breath and–” Y/n whispered to herself as she swiftly tagged the bolt free with a yelp.

            “Finch?!” Leo’s voice echoed.

            “I’m fine!” she screamed back while rolling her shoulder trying to force herself to get used to the pain. “Stay focused, Francoeur.”

            As the words left her mouth, Y/n heard the whirl of a foot bot, and her head shot up. Two were approaching her hiding spot. She had to attack now; pain be damned. She quickly took them out but ended up back in the open. Nervously she looked up, only to see that the archers were no longer drawing their bows. Curious, her eyes went to Leo, and relief momentarily flushed over her as she saw Leo was ok. 

            Hurrying to her feet she ran to his side and stood at the ready while he called out. “Stop hiding behind your foot bots and face me!”

            “Please don’t be an idiot,” Yn hissed under her breath. “We cannot take him.”

            “I need to take him down once and for agh–” Leo attempted to argue but was cut off when a chair wrapped around his arm and pulled him away.

            Y/n wanted to run after him, but before she could two more Footbots appeared that she had to fight. Before long two became four, then six. They weren’t slowing down. She tried to scan the area to find Leo again, but she couldn't see him anymore. There was just a broken area of the fence. Y/n tried to run that direction but was topped by another foot bot. In that instance she knew Leonardo had to be down there, and that these robots were keeping her away.

            The world was moving too fast. With each soldier she took down another two would appear. Her arms and legs were aching, she could feel blood trickling down the back of her shirt from the wound on her shoulder. Part of her knew that couldn’t be the only place she was injured. Stabbing another bot she actually managed to catch her breath and glance around. Everyone seemed to be defeated, she alone. Too alone. Y/n couldn't see Leo anymore. 

            Before panic could fill her mind she heard the turtle scream out from nearby. She scrambled to her feet trying to run to the sound, only for her arm to be caught in a vice-like grip. She yelped in surprise and instantly started to try and pull her arm away as he turned to see who it was. To her horror, she saw a familiar tiger mutant growling back at her. It was the same one who caused her large burn scars across her back, the one held her by her throat. Tiger claw. 

            He didn’t say a word, and Y/n couldn't seem to scream. Fear coated her being, to the point where she was surprised that she could even stumble alone as the mutant dragged her away. They were short, and soon Y/n found herself being thrown into another’s arms. If she hadn’t been scared before she certainly was now. The man who held her now by her forearms, was one she knew too well. Her old boss. The shredder was glaring at her as if she was a piece of filth. 

            The man didn’t say a word and he turned her and forced her body to be pinned to his chest. One arm locked her shoulders in place while the other painfully dug into her stomach. Silently he led her to the edge of the shipping platform and made her stand among his team. To her right stood Tigerclaw and Fishface, to her left, Rahzar and singular foot soldier. She landed on the soldier, studying him. 

            He wasn’t a bot.

            His shoulders were too tight, and how he moved, he looked nervous. His hands were clenching and unclenching at his side. The moment his eyes locked with Y/n’s he looked away as if he felt guilty. A pain ran through Y/n’s heart as she thought of who might be under the mask. Her breathing became ragged, and her voice desperate. 

            Almost foreign sounding to her ears, Y/n muttered a single word as a question. “David?” 

            The soldier turned more, as if he couldn’t bear to look at her, it was conformation she needed. Her best friend, her brother, wasn't going to save her. A new strength was found, and Y/n finally began to struggle in the shredder’s grip. She kicked, she screamed, she tried everything she could to get away, but the shredder was too strong. The only thing her struggle managed to achieve was catching Leonardo’s attention. 

            From below he heard Y/n’s screaming and quickly looked her way, his own wave of fear and anger splashing over him when he saw the woman he loved was captured by his archenemy. “Let. Her. Go.” Leonardo demanded. “Your fight is with me! Not her!”

            “But you forget.” The shredder hissed as his grip on Y/n’s shoulders tightened. “Ms. L/n belonged to me before you stole her.” 

            “I don’t belong to anyone!” Y/n growled  in response.

            “No… you decided to leave the luxurious life I provided for you. For that.” The shredder said with a demeaning laugh. The arm around her stomach left, and she could hear him drawing a blade. With wide eyes she watched as the shredder used the knife to point down at Leonardo, but man’s eyes stayed on her. “You left and have turned yourself into nothing more than sewer trash. Therefore, you are no longer of use to me.”

            And that was it, the only warning Y/n’ got before the shredder’s bland was pressed against her neck. She gasped in surprise at the cool mental and desperately looked down towards Leo. He looked beyond pissed now, and ready to pounce, but Leonardo was smarter than to make a mad dash. One wrong step, and the shredder could kill her. So instead, I just growled.

            “Take your fucking hands off of her.” 

            The shredder just laughed, his voice vibrating against Y/n’s back as he senses started to go on high alert. “Say goodbye to your pet.”

            That's when she felt it. The blade pressing against her throat. It was cold. So cold. And that cold followed as the blade dragged, deeply cutting her skin. It felt almost like slow motion as pain exploded from her throat. Vaguely she could hear Leo yell, but soon all there was, was the roaring of blood in her ears. Then suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. 

            Y/n tried to catch her breath, all but hyperventilate before the coughing started to overpower her gasps. She could taste the blood in her mouth, feel it fly with each cough until she couldn't even manage that anymore. Her vision started to blur. Looking down she saw two Leonardo’s screaming, running towards the edge. She focused on that image until black dotted the edges of her vision and eventually it took over and then. She felt nothing.

            .

            .

            .

            From below, Leonardo watched, and Y/n’s body went limp in the shredder’s arms. Blood flowed from her neck and mouth. She was motionless. Easily tossed into the nearby soldier’s arms like a rag doll. That’s when his mind finally managed a single clear thought. 

            He killed her.

            The soldier helps Y/n close to his chest looking frantically between her body, the shredder, and Leo. Every move he made, simply made Leo’s blood boil. How dare that man touch his Finch, how dare he look remorseful. His eyes then landed on the shredder. It was his fault. He killed her. He killed Y/n. and those thoughts continued to echo through his mind as the shredder said an unheard order that led his mutant companions jumping to Leonardo’s level.

            The thought remained and Leo continued to fight. The thought remained until the moment that Leonardo’s own world went black with a sharp pain shooting through his whole body. The last thing Leonardo would remember was that his Finch was dead. 

***

            As soon as the others were distracted he ran. That's all he could think to do. Holding y/n’s limp form to himself, he rushed into the city proper dodging globs of mutagen and flying mechs until he finally found somewhere safe. The old club. That window he used to enter was still broken, the inside was still completely reached, but it looked like no one else was there. No aliens, no mutants, not even any other humans looking desperately for somewhere to hide. Finally, it was somewhere safe and private.

            Falling to his knees in front of the stranger, he hesitated, but set Y/n’ down flat. He tore his mask from his head, revealing an overgrown mop of brown hair. Y/n’s hunch was right. This soldier, the one who often stayed close to the shredder’s side, was David, and he was frantic.

            Working fast he started to unwrap his hands and used the fabric to wrap Y/n’s neck, needing to do something, anything that might help. With his neck wrapped, and bleeding contained, David leaned down, pressing his head to her chest while muttering to himself through tears.

            “Come on, come on pretty girl, you gotta live for me. You can’t die like this.” he begged until he heard it, the faintest weakest of heart beats. “Thank god.” he sighed thankfully, sitting up and pulling the girl onto his lap. 

            For a few moments he simply sat there, cradling her close, apologizing time and time again while continuing to check her heartbeat and breathing. They weren’t getting any stronger, but they weren't fading away either. It was at least something, and the facts were there was little else he could do. Before long the shredder would come looking for him, and David knew there was no way he could have Y/n with him when that happened.

            Stealing his breath, he stood, keeping Y/n secure and he whispered to her. “I need to find those turtles. They’ll take good care of you.”

            Taking a single second more to just hold her, David soon left the club out the back door and started scanning the skyline for any clues as to where the turtles would be. The first thing to catch his eye was the largest of the Kranng mechs freezing and turning it’s attention to a building a few blocks away. As much as he hated to admit it, that was as good of a place to start as any, after all, it seems like everyone in this city was after these turtle’s shells. 

            Securing his grip on Y/n David started to run the few blocks, ducking away in alley ways every few buildings to avoid aliens. Eventually, he ran down an alley towards an old Volkswagen van. At first he planned to simply use the van as cover as he figured out how to get to the next street over where the largest Kranng was, but his plan quickly changed when running into the alley from the other entrance were just the mutants he was looking for. 

            Three turtles, one with a still passed out Leo on his back, and three humans. They were who he was looking for, but  he also knew he didn’t exactly have a good look. He was holding the final member of their group in his arms. Not only that. She was passed out and bloody. If he just jumped at them, he was almost certain that they would just kill him in retribution. So instead, he tucked himself a little future behind the van and waited.

            “What the hell is that?” One of the turtles asked.

            “It’s my old party wagon, from back in my hipster days.” The oldest human explained, and David’s stomach dropped. Of course they were heading towards this van. “Groovy, right.”

            David expected a sarcastic comment, but before one could come he heard a sickening splatter and a pained scream. Curious, he peaked out from around the van just in time to see the man getting mutated. Looking up he saw that the giant Kranng had made its way over a street and was now joining them, looking into their little alleyway with an evil laugh. 

            “Not again!” the girl shouted as their team erupted into chaos.

            “We gotta move,” instructed the final human and David then knew it was now or never.

            Circling the van urgently he rushed over just as the turtle in purple was pulling open the van door. “W-wait! Please!” he cried out and the whole group turned in his direction. Their expression read as shocked, but soon they prepared to attack him, making David jump.

            “He has Pidge!” The human boy shouted as he held a hockey stick at the ready. 

            “Wait, don't attack please!” David shouted before glancing back at Y/n, a tiny squeak coming from her. “She needs help. Shredder cut her throat. She’s still breathing, and I tried to wrap the wound, but I don't know what else to do. Please, she needs you.” 

            David prepared to beg more for their help, when the tallest turtle, Donatello, put away his staff and approached. He held his arms out and carefully David transferred the girl over. The turtle just looked at her for a moment, as if he was holding a dead family member. David watched in silence as the turtle's eyes began to water before the mutant blinked away anything that could have become tears.

            “You're David, aren’t you?” He started, earning himself a nod from the human. “Come with us. I’m sure she wouldn't want us to leave you here.” 

            “I can’t… just take care of her.” David explained hesitantly as he looked at the huge Kranng then back out towards the alley entrance. They were running out of time. Hurrying, he rushed forward and placed a final kiss against Y/n’s forehead before looking up at Donnie. “I’m sorry. About Y/n, about Francoeur. I’m so sorry.”

            With that, the man fled the way he came, leaving Y/n in the care of the mutants. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances before going back to the task at hand, getting the hell away from Kranng prime. While Casey and April got into the front seats and buckled up, the turtles piled into the back, laid Leo and Y/n on the floor in the middle and crowded around them to make sure the pair didn’t slide or bang around in the back.

            “Floor it Jones!” Raphael yelled and instantly the car jerked into motion. In a rush they started to race down the streets of New York as the three awake turtles in the back started tending to their fallen party members. “Mockingbird? Is she going to be ok?”

            Donnie looked up at Ralph's question, being careful to keep at least part of his attention on keeping Y/n’s head still so that it didn't bang against anything that could cause more damage. “I don’t know, but she’s alive. That’s about the best we can ask for if David was around the shredder cutting her throat.”

            “This day just keeps getting worse.” Mikey said as he finally found an old trap to wrap around Y/n and Leo’s heads to keep them in place.

            After a few hurried minutes of driving Casey finally pulled the van right by the manhole located closest to the lair. It was a safe pull off with only a few garages and a large face covering. It was as good of a place as any to unload. Casey said as much as he looked into the back seat, and instantly Raphael threw open the doors.

            “We have to find Splinter” he announced.

            “No way,” Mikey objected. “What about Leo and Y/n.”

            “We shouldn’t move them.” Donnie said simply.

            “They can stay with me,” Casey announced, not moving from the driver's seat. “I’m going back to search for my family.”

            April nodded at his words. “Okay, but we meet back at this spot.”

            “You got it red.” Then the doors were shut, and Casey drove off leaving the others or open the manhole and descend.

            The walk to the lair was silent, as everyone prepared for what they might see. While three out of the four were there for the majority of the battle, Raphael hadn’t seen any of it. They knew regardless that what they were going to be walking into was nothing short of a disaster. Even so, it made their stomachs turn to see. Everything is upturned, Kranng droids scattered unmoving throughout the living room. It was a scene they had only ever imagined in their nightmares before now.

            “Sensei!” Raphael called out over the carnage. “Are you here?”

            Trying to tape into her psychic connection, April searched for any feeling of the rat only to sigh. “I don’t sense him.”

            “We gotta move, everyone gather one meaningful thing you want to take with you.” Donnie announced before anyone could say or do anything else. He knew giving them time to dwell on what it might mean that their father wasn’t there wouldn’t do any good. They had to keep moving forward if they wanted out of this hell. “First we’ll find Splinter then we'll get out of town.”

            The team split up, going around the liar and gathering what they wanted to bring. With his bag packed Donnie walked back towards the living room and looked over the carnage that was there home. He couldn't really take in just how back it was before he rushed off. Everything was destroyed. Fueled by a sick curiosity, the turtle wandered into the conversation pit and started to look around. That’s when something caught his eye. A corner of white fleece, covered in pink roses. Y/n’s blanket.

            Moving towards it Donnie began showing away debris until he could get a good enough grip to pull the blanket free. It was covered in dirt, and a corner had been slightly torn by his tugging, but it was still as soft as ever. Dragging his fingers off the fleece, Donnie's mind flashed memories of the girl curled up on the couch, or in the lab wrapped up in it. There were even a few times when she shared it, mostly with Leo, but everyone had at one time, or another gotten to take advantage of her favorite floral blanket. 

            Without a second thought, Donnie folded the blanket and tucked it into his bag before turning on his heel towards the Tv. Sitting on a broken shelf was Y/n’s DVD case. He decided to grab that too. Those could be the things that Y/n choose if he had to justify it, though Donnie knew none of his brothers would say a word. What good would that do? When they did ultimately reconvene, the DVD case got little more than a quick glance and a nod, everyone understood.

***

            Slamming the door Casey growled out of frustration. Seeing no other outlet, he began punching the wall and steering wheel until the sounds of the horn began to add to his aggravation. His apartment was empty. No sign of his dad or sister, just shattered windows and a trashed living room. That only means one thing. He was too late. His family was gone. Casey growled again, this time as he crawled over the front seat of the van so he could crouch in the back.

            Staring down at Y/n and Leo he hardened a glare. He was pissed. Pissed at the Kranng for invading, pissed at the Shredder for hurting his friends, and pissed at these two for not being fucking awake. Why couldn’t they be okay, and why the hell did they have to look so fucking peaceful. If it wasn't for the now drawing splatters of blood and bruises, Casey would have assumed the couple had simply fallen asleep during a mission. 

            No… that wasn’t right. They were too far away from each other. 

            Casey wasn't sure what compelled him to do his next actions, but he didn’t regret them. Leaving forward he gently grabbed Y/n and pulled her closer to Leo. he rolled her head so that it rested on the turtle’s shoulder and connected the pair’s hands. Sitting back on his haunches, Casey gazed at them again. Now they looked like they were sleeping. The pessimist part of him picked at his brain, saying that this position was also probably better since if they do die, at least they would be together.

            “You two listen here,” Casey grumbled as the thought of them dying simply fueled his anger. “You are not pulling any Romeo and Juliet shit on us, you hear me. You both have to survive this.” 

            To punctuate his order, Casey nodded before climbing back to the driver's seat and buckling up. With one more glance behind him as his unconscious friends, he put the car onto drive and started racing down the street hoping that he could find the others quickly. 

            Scanning both the road and the sky, Casey tried to find anything that might indicate the other’s location. Luckily, he knew that his friends weren’t exactly known for quitting while they were ahead. That being said, he knew the instant he saw Kranng prime’s mech fall in the distance that the others would be that way. Stepping on the gas he charged in their direction. When he made the final turn however, what he saw made his determination grow.

            Now on the ground, backing his friends against a building was Kranng prime, now completely unprotected. Casey quickly scanned his surroundings then put the gas. Using a busted piece of a truck as a ramp, Casey launched the van into there, aiming the wheel directly for Kranng prime. At full speed he rammed into the alien before skidding to a stop on the other side. 

            He smiled with pride when he saw the silent roll away from the impact. Glancing behind him, he watched it go before looking back at Leo and Y/n. Miraculously the jump didn’t seem to jostle them too much. If anything, they just looked as if they were cuddling closer together. Casey let out a relieved sigh before returning forward again and leaning out the window towards his other friends.

            “Do you need a lift?” He asked with a smirk.

            Rather than replying everyone simply scrambled into the van slamming the doors behind them. Everyone seemed to release a collective tense breath and Casey threw the van into gear and started racing towards the edge of the city. This was it. They failed. The Kranng took over the city, Master Splinter was dead, Leo and Y/n laid motionless, clinging to life in front of them. Hope seemed like a distant piece of a fairytale. 

            Sighing again, Donnie reached into his rucksack and pulled out Y/n’s fluffy throw blanket. Meticulously he unfolded it, before throwing it over the couple in front of him. He even took the extra moment to tuck the edges of the blanket under their bodies to keep it secure. As he leaned back against his wall, Donnie reached forward, hovering his hand below Y/n’s nose just long enough to see the weak puffs of air she was releasing. His head hit the wall with a bang. At least they were both alive. 

            “You were right Leo.” Donnie sighed. “If we had just left the city when you said the Kranng would have never found the liar and started the invasion. None of this would have happened.”

            “I have a place we can go upstate.” April said towards the others, hoping to at least help in some way. “It’s an old family home, we used to go there every summer. We can stay as long as we want, no one is around for miles.”

            “Upstate huh? Sounds good to Casey Jones.”

            When the boy spoke, April turned her attention over to him. “Did you find your dad and little sister?”

            Casey sighed at the question. “No sign of them, they’ve probably been Kranng-a-fied by now.” 

            Another bout of silence echoed through the van until Mike leaned against his older brother’s arm and asked, “What’s gonna happen now, Raph?”

            “For the first time in my life, I have no idea, little brother.” Raph admitted sadly causing Mikey to lean into him further. 

            “I miss Master Splinter.”

Chapter Text

       Y/n wasn’t sure what had happened. She remembered looking directly at Leo, trying to beg him with her eyes. What was she begging for? For him to save her? For him to run? She wasn’t sure, and she didn’t have time to decide either since before she could blink her throat started to burn, then her lungs, then the world went dark

       Now, she was in the dark again, and her breath was labored, burning as the air ran up and down her throat. Everything hurts. Squeezing her eyes shut she began to drag her arm around the surface she was laying on. It felt like a bed. Was she home? Did they win? Raising her hand higher she tried to find leo. If they were home, he should be beside her, right? Only her hand never made contact. Not with his skin, not with his shell, just more bedding. Weird, but maybe he woke up early. Rolling to the other side, Y/n reached out to place her hand against the wall, wanting to feel the grounding coolness she had grown familiar with. When she reached for it however, her hand simply fell.

       That was strange. Strange enough that Y/n begrudgingly opened her eyes only to instantly widen them. Not only was the wall not there, but neither was the rest of her room. Rather than the dim colors Leo had chosen when he was young, the room she was in was painted a pale yellow, and the wall she was staring at was at least three feet in front of her. Y/n’s stomach dropped as a cold sweat rushed over, accompanying a chilling question.

       ‘Where am i? ’

       This wasn’t her home. This wasn’t anywhere she had ever been before. Panic began to run through her veins, causing a new feeling to fill her, this time it was adrenaline. In an instant, Y/n began kicking at the blankets, trying to break their hold as she moved towards the edge of the bed. Her struggle continued until finally she fell to the floor. From her new position, Y/n was able to remove the blanket and scramble to her feet. Once steady, she rushed to the door and bolted down the hallway. 

       She tried to move as swiftly and silently as possible while hurrying to the stairs, but before she could make a turn towards the steps she heard footsteps. Her body froze in place as she listened to the heavy Step, Step, Step. Y/n acted on instinct. She threw her body backwards against the wall to stay hidden, but what it caused made her hiss. Shooting pain spread throughout her body from her shoulder, and the sharp breath made her throat burn more than it ever had before. What happened to me? Y/n asked herself, as she tried to keep her focus on the retreating footsteps until they finally disappeared down the hall behind a shutting door.

       Seeing her chance, Y/n made another lunge for the stairs and tried to go down silently, but it was in vain. Each and every step squeaked, and it caught the attention of someone below. From the bottom of the stairs there was a voice. It was tired, laced with the scratchiness that often comes from early morning wakeups, yet still, somehow familiar. In any other situation, Y/n may have found comfort in that familiarity, but for now, it did nothing. Her ears were too busy ringing, her heart too busy bounding. She needed to get out, to get home, to find someone, anyone she knows. 

       Stumbling she fell down the final few stairs, and while lifting herself off the floor, she heard the voice again. “What was that?” It asked.

       Y/n’s heart beat fast, she knew what she had to do. Looking around frantically she found the door, and made a b-line for it. After she was out, she wasn't sure, but getting out of this building was definitely step one. Then she would run, she supposed. Until she found someone or something to tell her where she was. It wasn’t a far run, she should have been able to make it. But before her fingers could even grace across the doorknob, she was grabbed.

       Strong arms wrapped around her center pulled her back into a hard chest. She was squeezed tightly and jumped around. Her shoulder screamed and her voice tried to do the same, but all she could manage despite the terror that tore through her, was a melody of pitiful squeaks. 

       “You're awake! You're awake!” her capture cheered, though it sounded like radio static.

       Y/n’s chest started to feel tight and she started to hyperventilate. Her head became fuzzy, and her eyes watered. All she could feel was pain and fear. Y/n couldn’t even bring herself to fight anyone. She simply fell limp in her captors arms squeaking sadly as she cried. This reaction caught the attention of her capture and all their movements stopped. They talked to her again, but there were nothing more than mutters. Soon a new voice joined and a moment later she was carefully placed on the ground.

       Feeling the floor under her hands, Y/n scrambled away. Her sock covered feet got caught on small splinters in the floorboards as her hand burned from the bite of a raised nail. All of that was muted as soon as her shoulder hit the wall. Once again that searing pain took over all her senses, and Y/n wanted to scream. Her ears heard that same sad squeak come from mouth as she desperately grabbed her shoulder and finally, threw her head up to look at her captures. 

       Relief hit her so hard that a new stream of tears began. Kneeling in front of her, clearly trying to keep a respectable distance were two people, or turtles rather, that she recognized. One in purple, one in orange, both looking happy to see her, yet fully prepared to proceed with caution. Overwhelmed with new emotion, Y/n followed her pulling need for comfort and jumped into Donnie’s open arms, pulling him into a tight embrace as she cried into his shoulder. From the outside, both men could see her shaking uncontrollably as her nails clawed at his shell in search of purchase. Donatello carefully circled his arms around her body, being wary of her injured shoulder while Mikey moved forward to rub her back.

       “There you go, gentle breaths. I know you're scared and in pain, but we're safe now. Everyone is here, everyone is safe. You're safe.” Donnie soothes as he gently rocked Y/n in his arms as if she were a child. 

       Y/n nodded against him trying to match his breathing as Mikey's hand traveled to her hair, carefully tugging at the knots. “We’ve got you Nightingale, nothing's gonna hurt you here.” 

       The girl was tempted to believe them, even going as far as to melt into the men’s touch, only for her muscles to stiffen in an instant when another, angrier voice, echoed down the hall. “What the hell is going on down there?” 

       Frantically, y/n shot up, her eyes darting in the stairs. In her ear she could hear Donnie trying to calm her once again while Mikey’s touch fell away. Scanning the stairwell Y/n sighed, it was just Raphael. He looked angry like usual, but where their eyes met, all of that anger melted away and transformed into relief.  The turtle in red then rushed the rest of the way down the stairs before all but sliding to her side. Without hesitation, he reached out for Y/n and carefully wiped through a stream of tears before wrapping his arms around both Y/n and his brother.

       “Mockingbird, you're awake. Thank god you're awake. You’re alive.” Raphael muttered into Y/n’s hair as he tried to steady his own breath. Once he felt confident in his own stability, the turtle in red pushed away, and Y/n followed suit. The pair shared a moment of eye contact before he sighed again. “Don’t scare us like that again, ok.”

       Y/n nodded before looking across each of these faces. Taking another painful deep breath she attempted to reply only to instantly regret her choice. Instead of words once again only squeaks escaped her lips but this time, each noice case with a sensation which Y/n could only assume was what drinking hot magma felt like. She visibly wined, as did the others, though their reactions were clearly out of sympathy. 

       “It’s best if you don’t try to talk. Your vocal recovery is going to take months.” Donnie explained and Y/n pinched her brows together trying to remember what happened that would result in vocal recovery. Raising a hand to her throat she felt layers of thin bandages had been wrapped around the expanse of her neck. Stupidly she decided to add some pressure directly over her vocal cords, where she felt that the bandages were slightly bulging, only to wince and gag all at once. “Yeah, don’t do that either, the injury is still far from healed. I gave you some stitches while you were out, but when I changed the bandages this morning it still looked really bad.” Donnie once again advised.

       She looked up, even more confused and looked at all the brothers. “Do you remember what happened?”  Mikey finally asked, prompting Y/n to shake her head ‘no’.

       “Shredder got you a good Mockingbird, from what your friend David said when he brought you to us, he had slit your throat.”

       Raphael started, and Donnie was quick to follow. “It wasn't enough to kill you, but the damage is extensive not only to your skin and such, but also to your vocal cords. They weren’t fully cut, but… well lets just say talking is going to be off the table for a while.” 

       “But you're still alive, which I personally feel like is the most important part here.” Mikey smiled. “And now you're awake, which is even better!”

       Y/n nodded in recognition before carefully lifting to her feet. Donnie kept a careful hold of her arms to make sure the girl didn’t stumble, but she wiggled herself away with an appreciative smile. With a quick glance around she tried to properly gain her barings. 

       They were in some kinda house. It looked old and dated, but the appliances were well enough up to date. From where she stood she saw a living room, a dining room, and an archway to a small kitchen. There was another door on the back wall that she guessed led to a bathroom or closet as well as the central staircase. All and all, it was cute and cosey. How they got there was a question for another time.

       As she looked around, Y/n caught sight of a hall mirror and made her way over. When she saw her reflection the girl couldn’t help but wince. To put it simply, she looked like hell. There were bruises and scrapes littering her cheeks, her hair was dirty and knotted, and most noticeable of all her neck was meticulously wrapped in white bandages.  The front most part of the wrappings was slightly raised where Y/n could only assume her stitches laid. Turning, she moved her hair out of the way and tugged down her tank top strap to get a good view of her shoulder. I wa banaged as well, though these bandages were decorated with multiple colored markers. Little smiley faces and hearts dotted the plaster along with one huge rainbow. Tilting her head, a curiously smile peaked at her lips while her eyes scanned the reflection for the turtle’s faces.   

       “The injury or the bandage?” Raph started as he approached, clearly understanding that she was wanting to ask something. “We aren’t exactly sure what happened, but it looked like an arrow puncture wound. As far as the bandage, Mikey and Casey have been alternating who gets to decorate yours and Leo's bandages before they get replaced. They said the basic ones were too boring.”

       “But donnie said character bandages are too small, so we had to improvise.” Mikey complained and Y/n’s smile grew. 

       A small comfort truly, but it did warm her heart. So, adjusting her shirt, Y/n approached the brothers once again. Once she was close enough she kissed mikey’s forehead before looking at the others. Out of instinct she went to speak again, but was fast to stop herself and instead start miming for a piece of paper and a pen.

       After a moment, Donnie understood and passed an old receipt and a pen to her. Flipping it over she wrote one word. ‘Leo?’ Taking the paper back, Donnie read it and nodded. “He’s still out. He sustained more injuries than you and we have no idea when he’s going to wake up. He’s upstairs in the master tub right now, if you want to see him.”

       She didn’t hesitate. Y/n nodded and instantly made her way to the stairs, stopping at the bottom to glance at the others and indicate for them to lead the way. The boys were a bit more hesitant, but they knew better than to go against anything the girl wanted to do. So they pressed on, leading her up the stairs and towards the bathroom where Leo was being kept. 

       While entering the room was easy, Y/n froze the moment she saw him. Leonardo looked still, too still, and pale. If she didn’t know any better the girl would have assumed that he was dead, floating on his back in the tub. Carefully she approached, but as soon as she could see the patches of torn scales her knees began to shake. Falling to the floor, Y/n’s eyes started to well up with tears. She reached out for Leo’s hand, which was dangling pathetically over the edge of the tub, and kissed the back of it. 

       ‘This is all my fault,’ she thought, ‘if i hadn’t been there, he could have focused more. No, I should have talked him out of leading those Kranng away in the first place, or convinced him not to hunt down the Shredder.’

       As her mind spiraled the tears finally fell. A melody of strained cries ripped through her throat as Y/n tighten her grip on Leo’s hand. She sobbed harder and harder until she began to feel nauseous. Eventually, she found that she was crying so hard that she couldn’t even think any more. It wasn’t until she was forcibly pulled back that she managed to catch her breath. Looking up, her head hit the hard chest of Raphael who was forcing himself to take deep breaths for her to follow. The actions surprised her, but she mimicked it nonetheless as she listened to him speak. 

       “You're going to make yourself sick.” the turtle scolds her. “Remember, you're recovering too. Why don’t you go downstairs with Mikey and get something to eat. We made sure to stock up on liquids so you can actually get some calories, then you need to rest.” 

       Moving forward Donatello placed a caring hand on Y/n shoulder, “Shockingly Raph is right. You need to take it easy. After some broth we’ll do your check up, then when April gets home you can go shower. I want someone close by in case something happens when you're cleaning up and I figure you’d like another woman. Then we’ll change your bandages and just relax until it's time to go back to sleep.”

       “Maybe we’ll squeeze in a tour of the farmhouse nightingale! A little bird like you should feel right at home in the country.” Mikey encouraged as he too reached out to place a comforting hand on her knee. 

       Y/n was hesitant to leave, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew that crying here would do nothing. So reaching out, she grabbed Raphael’s arm and let him help her to her feet. Once balanced, Mikey offered her his arm, which she took. One final look, and they were off to the kitchen to get her fed. 

***

       Three long months later, Leo hadn't woken up and Y/n was still on her road to recovery. As soon as her shoulder was healed, the girl pushed herself back into training. Raphael took over as her sensei while Leonardo was out of commission. He pushed her hard, often being reminded of her injuries the hard way, ie. he chucks her across the yard and it takes her a bit longer to get up than either of them would like, but she appreciated it. 

       While Y/n had been forcing herself to adapt to their new life in the farm house, one thing that continued to linger in her mind was the guilt regarding Leonardo. She would spend hours each day sitting by his side stuck in her own mind coming up with various plans that could have stopped either of them from getting hurt. She’ll spiral until someone finally comes to collect her for food or training or medical attention. Sometimes she would be collected for grocery trips as well.

       For obvious reasons it was Y/n, April, and Casey’s responsibility to go to the next town over every other week for a large shopping trip. Luckily for everyone Y/n kept an emergency debit card in her DVD case. The card was tied to her accounts holding her inheritance. It was more money that anyone should have, at least in Y/n’s opinion, but it was certainly coming in handy at the moment. After all, if it weren’t for Y/n’s money they would be up a creek.

       Another thing that had been driving Y/n insane, was her inability to speak. For about three weeks she carried around a notepad and a pencil to communicate, but it quickly became a range weapon for the girl whenever she got frustrated. This led to her and Donatello inventing their own specialized version of sign language. The original plan was to just use ASL, but they quickly discovered that the boys only having three fingers made that practically impossible. So instead they invented TSL, Turtle Sign Language. For the past two and half months the whole house has been learning a new way to communicate, and now the hand motions are nearly second nature. As did turning at the sound of a loud clap, like Donnie did right now.

       He and Y/n were currently holding up in the barn, pausing their current mutagen experiments for her daily check up. The purple turtle had gone on a bit of a rant about Y/n’s recovery and she knew that today was shopping day, AKA there wasn’t time for this. So to cut him off, the girl clapped her hands sharply causing the turtle to instantly look to her eyes then her hands just in time to see her speak.

       The point, Tello,’ she signed at him.

       “Right! So as I said, you’re healing exceptionally well. There is a scar across your neck but otherwise you look good as new,” The turtle in purple smiled. “Which means we are almost ready to start PT for your vocal cords.”

       That got Y/n’s attention. Her expression lit up as she thought about being able to speak again. It had been so long that she felt as if she wouldn't recognize her own voice upon hearing it. After all, all there had been lately were squeaks, grumbles, or gasps. 

       Donnie chuckled at her reaction. “Okay, calm down. It will still take a long time before you can even form sentences but let's try a word. Try saying Hi.”

       Nodding Y/n sat up a bit straighter and took a breath. “H-h-hi.” She managed to squeak out but it’s breathy and tight. Still she lit up when she heard it and took another deep breath. “H-Hi.” 

       “Very good!” Donnie beamed. “Now i don’t want you jabbering about but, everyday you and i will try single word answers during your check ups. Soon enough single word can be used all the time and then we’ll move on to sentences and–”

       Y/n frantically signed something. A gentle furrish with her hand staring at her throat. Singing? She was asking, and Donnie’s face fell a bit. At that, she felt as if she already had the answer, but the turtle still explained.

       “N-not for a while.” he admitted then carefully grabbed her hand. “Y/n listen. I don't want to say you’ll never be able to sing again, but you have to understand how much vocal strain that causes. If and that’s a big if, if you can even get to the point where you can sing again I can't promise it will be the same. You’ll likely sound different with a smaller range.”

       It wasn’t a no, Y/n tried to tell herself. He didn’t say she couldn’t sing any more, just that it would be different. Different was okay, right? Right? Her mind echoed with a dull buzz as its response. She wasn’t sure if she could take any more different right now. If Y/n was being honest, while she was desperate to talk again, she missed singing even more. Singing was her whole life, it was who she was, it was the one element of herself that wasn’t forced to change along with every other aspect of her life. 

       Who was she, if she couldn’t sing any more?

       Y/n shook her head, she didn’t like the question. Moreover, she didn’t like the first answer she had come up with. 

       After all, the answer was a single simple word. Without singing, she was…well…

       Nothing.

       No, Y/n told herself, that’s ridiculous. She was more than singing. She was smart and strong, and able to adapt. And that’s just skimming the surface. Y/n knew she was more, but still, she felt as if a hole was resting in her chest. It weighed her down. A reminder of all of the things she’s lost throughout her life. Everything that held a place within her that could never be replaced. A reminder of her parents, her home, her friends, Master Splinter, Leo, and now singing. 

       From in front of her, Donnie watched as the girl deflated until she began to sign at him a rushed excuse to leave. ‘Grocery day, April and Casey waiting. Bye.’ 

       “Y/n wait.” He called out when Y/n suddenly stood and grabbed her wrist. “Please don’t worry about this. Everything will work out in the end, I promise.”

       ‘I know,’ Y/n replied with a small smile before turning and leaving the barn so that she and the other humans could go to the grocery store.

       The trip was their standard bi-weekly grocery haul. They head to the next town over where a slightly sketchy Walmart was located. As a trio they’d wander the isles. April mans the list, Y/n pushes the cart, and Casey sneaks in sweets and treats all while winking at Y/n everytime an item landed in the basket of the cart. After being checked out by an overly tired teenager the trio leaves the store, loads up the car and hurries back to the farm house. 

       Usually when they pulled in one of the boys could be found on the front porch waiting for their arrival but instead the yard was completely empty. The humans exchanged a glance but ultimately shrugged. While the silence was unusual it wasn’t unheard of . So pressing on the three climbed out of the van and began picking up all of the bags so they could carry in the groceries in a single trip. Once they were settled the trio exchanged knowing looks before taking off in a sprint.

       This was something they began after their second trip to Walmart. A single trip challenge. It was simple and a bit childish, but that’s why they loved it. Whether they like to admit it or not, none of the humans really got to have a normal teenage experience. April got involved with the turtles when she was sixteen and got kidnapped, and had been dealing with Kranng since. Casey got himself tangled up with the mutants a year later, and like clockwork the same happened for him. Not to mention he was pushed so hard towards hockey by his father that any time he wasn’t with the team, he was practicing. Then there was Y/n. Let's just say going to college as young as she did, doesn't leave much time left to be young. So, little things, like picking up enough plastic bags to cause your arms to ache and running full speed into the house, help make up for time lost. 

       With taunts mixed with laughter and Y/n’s excited squeaks the trio raced to the door, Casey making it there first, and throwing open the screen with far more force than necessary. Much to his dismay, April managed to push forward and duck on his arm taking the lead for herself, but it was short lived. After all, Y/n was the only one who made the corner in the living room to ultimately body slam the counters. She grunted from the impact but as soon as the bags dropped from her arms, the girl shot a double fist in the air to indicate her success. A moment later the others came stumbling in themselves still laughing as they too set down their bags before rubbing at the new indentions that pressed into their skin. 

       “Who won?!” They suddenly heard Donnie’s voice echo from the living room.

       “Who do you think?” April called back with a laugh as she moved to start unpacking alongside the others.”

       “It was nightingale wasn’t it!” Mikey shouted back in response. “That girl’s got the speed.”

       Casey rolled his eyes and leaned out of the kitchen. “It was, now get your shell in here and help unpack.”

       The youngest turtle’s groan could be heard throughout his full trek from the living room to the kitchen, but he showed up nonetheless and swifty began putting away groceries. When all was said and done the group stretched before glancing to the clock and nodding. 3pm, time for afternoon training. Like clockwork, it was also at this time that Raphael peaked his head in with shit eating grin.

       “Training time! Get your lazy butts out to the lawn.”

       Everyone obeyed, taking the few minutes needed to gather their weapons before joining the group outside to stretch and prepare for another one of Raphael’s rigorous training sessions. With Leonardo down for the count, Raph stepped up as the next eldest brother to act as sensei. His training was more aggressive than Leo’s or splinters ever were, but they are certainly productive. Mikey and Donnie could be mostly self driven, leaving Raph to focus on the humans present.

       For April, he’s worked a lot on close combat, his specialty being sending her to Y/n for practice with throws. While the other woman was far from an expert, her training with Leonardo gave her a good enough foundation to pass on some of the skills, even though they had to be slightly altered to work for her tessen vs Y/n’s kunai. Casey was offered to be taught a new weapon, but stubborn as he is, the man refused. Instead he kept to his sporting equipment to smack people with.

       Finally there was Y/n. Her training was light for a while, really only happening at all because she refused to sit out, but now that her shoulder was mostly healed, there was no holding back. Something else that has developed was her desire to learn to use more weapons, in particular, twin blades. When she first brought up the idea, it was to Donnie who immediately was against it. A few weeks later when she brought it up to Raph, he was also skeptical, but was willing to let her give it a shot. So, using Leonardo’s blades, he began to teach her the little he knew.

       The only reason Raphael agreed was because he felt as if he knew the real reason Y/n had even asked to learn the art of swordsmanship. She still felt guilty about what happened to Leo. It was clear to everyone that Leonardo was the picture of strength in Y/n’s eyes. So, while making herself stronger, they weren’t surprised she chose to emulate him. From where Raph stood, he thought that if she could learn to use a sword, then y/n would feel stronger than she was, and soon enough that would lead to her mental healing. He couldn't be sure quite yet if it was working, but after a month and a half of work, Y/n could hold her own in a fight while using the katanas, even if she had yet to win. 

       Today’s training went about the same as it did every day. A group sparring match that ran until someone got into a fist fight. Today’s candidates appeared to be Donnie and Casey. Just as Mikey finished taunting Rapheal who had been swiftly taken down by April and Y/n the group heard the thud. Sheathing their weapons everyone turned their attention to where Donnie and Casey were currently rolling around in the dirt, weapons discarded. 

       “Okay you two, enough.” April scolded. “You two are acting like a bunch of caged animals.”

       Pulling themselves off the ground Casey was the first to speak. “We’re just blowing off a bit of steam red.”

       “Yeah, things are just a little tense lately. Right old friend?” Donnie added as he forced Casey into a headlock lead side hug.

       “We're all just a little frustrated April,” Raphael cut in as he approached, tone almost gruffer than usual. “No offense, but we're turtles, we don’t belong in a farmhouse, we belong in the sewers.” 

       “Eh, not entirely accurate but apropos.” Donnie shrugged.

       “Yeah, that’s all good, but we must remember what master splinter taught us.” Mikey hummed before attempting to mimic their father’s voice. “We must accept the hand that the universe has dealt us.”

       “Wow, that’s deep man.” Casey muttered from the background, but nothing could stop the fuse that had been lit. 

       “Master splinters gone! And Leo might never wake up.” Raph shouted, clearly at the end of his rope in more than one way. “Let's face it, the universe dealt us a lousy hand.”

       With that, the turtle in red stormed off towards the house, leaving the others to stand in a bit of daze. Raph being emotional was nothing new, but the outburst being anything more than just anger? Well that was becoming more and more common as time went on. They all knew that keeping vigil over Leo was both helping and harming Raphael. It was as if he was repaying a debt by sitting with him, but each day weighed him down more and more. If anyone understood it was Y/n. After all, if he wasn’t watching Leo, she was, and more often than not, they sat in silence together in that tiny bathroom waiting for any sign to give them an inkling of hope. 

       Her heart pounded as she thought about how Raph must be feeling and she knew she was the only one who really understood. So turning to the group she signed. “I’ll go after him, you all clean up.” Then quickly she rushed towards the house and up the stairs. 

       The path to the bathroom was muscle memory at this point, but she still froze after peaking in. It was a house rule to keep the door open at all times in case leo woke up, or someone (ie, Raph or Y/n) had completely spaced out and needed to be yanked back into the land of the living. It never got less jarring. After countless nights of sitting silently with Raphael at Leo's side, Y/n was still amazed by how gentle the usually aggressive turtle seemed. It was a sad relaxation that took over him and he seemed like a completely different person. He was comforting, with his words, his touch, even his breathing. Y/n wished he could be at ease in this way without the sorrow it’s tied with. Sighing she shook away her thoughts and entered.

       She clapped, making the turtle jump before he turned to her. With a sad smile, she signed to him. “Hey.”

       “Hi.” Raph signed back, eyes darting towards Leo for a moment before going back to Y/n knowing he would have to focus on her hands to understand her. 

       “Mind if I join you?” she asked while walking to his side. As soon as the turtle nodded, she sat on the ground, her shoulder against the tub. Y/n spared Leo a glance, scanning over him to confirm that nothing had changed since she last occupied his space before looking back at Raph, and lifting her hands. “What was that about? Usually you put on a braver face.”

       “I know, I'm usually better than that, it’s just…” he paused to sigh, eyes finding the ceiling as he spoke. “The more time goes on, the less hope I have. It just seems like everything in our lives has gone to shit.”

       “You're not wrong, but you really should be more optimistic. If I've learned anything in life, it’s that nothing is fixed by being sad.” Y/n encouraged, her hand finding his knee to ensure that she kept his focus. “You're strong Raph, the strongest of us all. I know it’s a lot to ask, but we need you to hold onto that strength just a little bit longer. 

       “But what if I can't.”

       “Then, lean on me.”

       Raph shook his head, “No, Mockingbird, you’re still recovering.’

       “I’m fine. No more bandages,” Y/n insisted. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”

       “I hope you're right.”

       A lopsided grin managed to appear on Y/n’s lips as she pulled herself up to her knees and faced Raphael with open arms. “Hugs?”

       The turtle in front of her mimicked her expression before opening his arms as well. “Get over there.” 

       Y/n was quick to obey. Waddling forward on her knees, she wrapped her arms around Raphael’s shoulders. The turtle quickly returned the embracing, going as far as to yank Y/n off the ground and into his lap for more leverage. Y/n smiled at this and tightened her grip. If nothing else came from this experience, Y/n would say that she was at the very least happy that she discovered that Raphael gave some of the best hugs out of all the turtle brothers. Maybe it was because they were so rare, or because he was naturally driven by emotion, but his hugs were just nice. They were strong, and shockingly warm for a cold blooded creature, and he had mastered the concept of not letting go first, at least for Y/n. 

       She knew that if she were to mention any of this to anyone else, Raph would make it his personal goal to destroy her during their next training session. So she stayed quiet, and simply enjoyed the embrace when she could. On occasion, Y/n would compare Raph’s hug to Leo’s. Generally there were two big differences. Raph’s hugs here bone crushingly tight at first, while Leo’s were always light. The turtle in blue hugged as if he was afraid of breaking whoever it was he was holding, Raphael had no such worries. The other difference was the churring. Leo always churred when he hugged Y/n, and Y/n had yet to hear Raph’s variation of the noise. That she didn’t really mind though. At this point she figured that if she heard Raph chur she would fall into a state of shock. 

       The thought made Y/n laugh, or what laughing was for her now. It was more of a deep humm as her torso bounced, but everyone in the house recognized it for what it was. Confused, Raphael looked down at the girl. He was about to ask her what she found so funny, but the words died on her tongue when they heard a soft, wince filled groan. Turning towards the tub the pair waited silently, hoping that what they heard was real. A moment later, they saw movement. The water around Leo’s body sloshed as the turtle in question stiffened his eyes slowly blinking open.

       “Leo?” Raphael asked.

       “R-raph?” The other turtle responded as he turned his head, eyes now fully open.

       In an instant a huge smile broke out across the pair’s faces as they separated and scrambled towards the edge of the tub. Y/n let out an excited squeak when she landed beside him, not hesitating to reach into the water for Leo's hand. Once she had it she lifted it to her lips and kissed his palm while smiling. Leonardo watched her actions with weary eyes. It wasn’t until her lips made contact with his hand that his eyes widened with shock.

       He stared for a few minutes before rapsing in amazement. “Finch? You’re alive?” Y/n eagerly nodded in response while Raph chuckled.

       “Oh my god.” The turtle in red gaped before shouting over his shoulder. “Guys! Guys! Get up here!”

       As they waited for the hurried footsteps of their brothers to finally arrive in the bathroom, Leo’s eyes remained locked on Y/n. He looked at her as if she was a ghost, but the girl hardly realized. Too filled with relief and unfiltered joy all from the fact that Leo was simply awake again. Her grip on his hand tightened, and truthfully she never wanted to let go. But when she heard the bathroom door slam against the wall she knew she would have to take a step back so that the others could move forward. 

       “Leo?” Donnie’s voice echoed throughout the bathroom. 

       Shaking his head, Leo looked away from Y/n and managed a smile. “Hey guys.”

       “Leo! You’re back! Dude!” Mikey screamed as he sped across the bathroom and hugged Leo to the best of his ability, the tub making it a bit rough and awkward.

       The embrace continued until Raph finally pulled Mikey away and looked at his older brother, smile never ceasing. “Take it easy, let us get you out of here.” 

       While bringing with excitement the group helped Leonardo down the stairs where the other two humans were waiting. Eager to get ahead and make sure there was space for him to be comfortable, Y/n jumped over the stair rail, landing hard in the lower hall while Donnie scolded her for being reckless, only to get waved off. Once in the living room, Y/n signed to April and Casey that Leo was awake before she started to move around pillows on the couch and turned down the television. She then ran out the back door and to the barn where Donnie’s first aid kit was. Supplies in hand she rushed back to the house and hurried to kneel on the ground beside where Leo was sitting to pass Donnie whatever he may need for an initial check up.  

       She was briefly thanked for her fast action before the conversation continued with a clarifying question from Leo, “So we’ve been here for 3 months? I’ve been out that long?”

       "You had us worried sick Leo,” April spoke as she leaned on the arm of the couch beside Rapheal. “Raph, and Y/n hardly slept.”

       “Ah it was nothing.” The turtle in red shrugged, clearly trying to play off what the woman had said when in reality everyone knew just how much of a weight had been lifted off his shoulders as soon as Leo opened his eyes.

       Sensing the dead spot in the conversation, Casey asked a question that admittedly everyone had. “So why does he sound different?”

       It was true, Leo did sound different. His voice was more robust and warm in a way. He almost sounded older. It was clearly different from how it was before, but then again, it had been so long since anyone had heard him speak that many of them found that when they tried to think back to how Leo sounded three months ago, the timber was a hazy memory. 

       “He sustained damage to his throat, and just about everywhere else for that matter.” Donnie explained as he finished his checks. “The good news is that Leo’s throat damage didn’t seem to be targeted, you’ll have an easier recovery on that end.”

       Everyone knew what Donnie met by that. Leo’s throat injuries were nothing compared to Y/n’s, which thankfully ment they still only had one mute on the team for the time being. That being said, Y/n still thought of herself as lucky. While her one major injury was awful, it was pretty much all she had with the exception of her shoulder. Leonardo was hurt everywhere, especially his leg which was effectively broken. Luckily the bone healed while he was out, but the physical theory that it would take for him to regain full strength was going to be hell on earth. 

       Concern pulled Y/n’s features to the side as she thought. Absent-mindedly she reached out, and placed a comforting hand on Leonardo’s knee. Such is luck, she managed to add just enough pressure on a sore spot, causing the turtle to wince. In a flash her hand was gone and the squeaks that would have been her apology passed her lips. At the sound, Leo looked down at her. 

       There was a moment of eye contact before he hurried to look away. 

       Now, confused, Y/n tilted her head. With a flick of her eyes, she glanced at Donnie who seemed just as confused as she was, though all he could do was offer the girl a shrug before digging around his first aid kit once again. 

       “Here, take some of my patented mutagen medicine. It’ll help you heal faster.” Donnie jumped in, pouring some medication on a spoon for Leo to take. 

       The eldest turtle took it easily, only to gag at the taste. “Egh, this tastes like it should be coming out of me, not going into me.”

       “First thing tomorrow, we start up training.” Raph said, clearly trying to distract from the medication as he wrapped an arm around Leo’s shoulders. “I’ll have you back on your feet in no time.”

       His distraction technique, however, made Y/n perk up and quickly sign an objection. “ Woah woah! No training! He needs to rest.”

       “Calm down Mockingbird, I'll go easy on him.”

       “No training.” She insisted, being sure it kept her expression stern. 

       “He’ll be fine.” The turtle waved her off, but it didn't stop Y/n from starting up her signs again. 

       Leo watched silently for a few minutes before finally cutting in. “What exactly am I watching right now?”

       “What do you mean?” April asked in return, being one of the few who wasn’t actively trying to decipher the argument that had entirely slipped into TSL at this point. 

       “The hand thing…” He muttered, eyes remaining on Y/n until she looked up at him, then once again Leo turned away in favor of facing April. “Why isn’t she just talking?”

       “The shredder slit Y/n’s throat. The damage was substatal. Not enough to kill her but her vocal cords were badly damaged.” April explained, sending a sympathetic gaze Y/n’s way as she went on. 

       “My theory is he was trying to take away the one part of her he saw as useful,” Donnie continued, he went as far as to place a hand on Y/n’s shoulder giving it a squeeze as he thought back to the conversation they had in the barn earlier that day, specially her disappoint when it came to her never singing the same again. “Since she was his singer, he tried to cut her vocal cords.”

       Then it was Raph’s turn to jump in, a smile on his face as he gently kicked Y/n’s knee, a new habit he formed whenever their conversations in the bathroom got too gloomy for their own good. “The good news is, he didn’t do it right. Y/n should make a full vocal recovery in time, but for now she's communicated with TSL.”

       “TSL?” Leo asked, now seeming even more confused than before. 

       “Turtle sign language. Donnie and Pidge invented it.” Casey explained with a smirk before very poorly signing, “Nerds.”

       “Yeah, three weeks if her throwing a notepad at our heads was enough.” Mikey chuckled, though he did begin to rub his forehead as if remembering how it felt to have the metal spiral make contact. 

       There was a collective wince at that statement. Y/n was brutal with that notebook. It was something she purchased three days after she woke up on her first shopping drip with April and Casey. Prior to that it was a lot of charades and pointing and irritated squeaks. Yeah, that wasn’t going to last long. So while at the store Y/n rushed off to the office supplies section and picked up a small blue spiral notebook and a bag of mechanical pencils. At first, the notebook was wonderful…until she couldn’t write fast enough to keep up with conversations. 

       So now, Y/n still couldn’t talk and she was armed with a new range weapon. The next time she went to the store, Y/n found a book on basic ASL and got to work with Donnie to reconfigure it for three fingered hands. Thus TSL was born and the household was once again safe from projectile notepads. Most of the time at least. 

       Squeezing her shoulder once more Donnie closed out their group explanation. “We would have used American sign language but us turtles don’t have enough fingers to make that work.”

       “ Don’t worry, we’ll teach you.” Y/n signed with a smile.

       Leonardo blinked a few times as he watched Y/n’s hands cut through the air, a bit slower than they had when she spoke to Raph. It was clear she was trying to make the gestures easier to read, but he was still completely lost. “Umm, what?”

       “She said she’ll teach you.” Raph translated for his older brother before smirking down at Y/n.  “Which you can do as part of training, win win.”

       With a grumble and an eye roll she sat back on her legs. It was evident that she wasn’t going to win this fight regardless as to how right she was in this matter. What was really surprising her however, was how Donnie sat back and said nothing. Glancing to the side she saw the turtle in purple cleaning up the last of his supplies. When he felt her gaze, he turned over to her and sighed.

       Signing he said, “There was no point in fighting with Raph, he wouldn’t have listened to me.”

       “You're the medic Donnie!” Y/n signed back, “What you say goes in this case.”

       “If you're that worried, just go with them.”

       Y/n sneered at the suggestion but didn’t object. With a huff she signed back a final word on the matter before getting up to start on dinner. “Fine.”

***

       The next morning, Raph and Y/n patiently waited for Leo to meet them outside for training. Y/n had worn Raph down enough that they would start with a walk today instead of actual combate, but she still had her reservations. Donnie had made Leo a crutch that he spent all night getting used to, but he still wasn’t the most stable, and the forest trails were rocky at best. Though, the trails were the only thing that were rocky. 

       It was hard to miss at this point, but Leo was clearly avoiding Y/n. People started catching on during dinner, specifically when Leo chose to sit between Raph and Mikey instead of one of the two open chairs that they had specifically left open for him and Y/n. Then, everytime Y/n tried to get his attention with a gentle touch, he would jump away. Things only got worse when it was time for bed. Y/n was in the master bedroom getting ready for bed when Raph led Leo in explaining that since they were the most hurt, Y/n and Leo got to have the master suite. For the first time since his check up, Leo looked at Y/n only to turn away and start back out the door, insisting he could just sleep on the couch. 

       Of course, before he could get far, Y/n rushed past, signing to Raph that she’d take the couch since Leo needed more rest. The turtle in red hesitated but agreed and helped Leo get ready for bed. That night everyone shot concerned glances to Y/n as he scrambled for extra blankets and pillows, and understanding of what that implied sinking in. 

       Leonardo was distancing himself for Y/n. 

       The question was, why?

       Now there were theories, but no one knew for sure, and really no one has had time to discuss yet. After all, this moment with Raph and Y/n waiting outside, was the first time anyone in the household had actually been together post going to bed last night. Now Raphael and Y/n had become quite close after three months of late night chats in the bathroom together, but the turtle in red was still in no way interested in getting involved in any of his brothers’ love lives. So Y/n knew better than to ask him for his thoughts. That being said, she did know that if things went too far, Raph would jump in if needed, which was a nice comfort. 

       Even so, it still bothered her. She was so excited for Leo to wake up. To be able to see that he was going to be ok. To just sit beside him during meals. Y/n had especially been looking forward to sleeping next to him and just knowing he was there, but she got none of that. For whatever reason Leo wouldn’t even look at her, so she was stuck, unable to even talk it out.

       Sighing, she looked back at the house just in time to see Leo walking down the porch chairs and hobbling in their direction. Forcing a smile she nudged Raph to pay attention, and soon enough Leo was in front of them, once again, looking only at his brother. 

       “What's the plan Raph?” He asked.

       “Well since someone doesn’t want you to push yourself too far, we're just going to go on a walk today.” Raphael explained, going as far as to nudge Y/n with his shoulder as he spoke, but not even that earned her a glance. “There is no paved path, so it’ll still be a bit of a challenge but nothing too bad. Just thirty minutes in, then a turn around.” 

       “That sounds fine.” Leo said with a nod before he began hobbling towards the forest. “See you when we get back.” 

       Both Raph and Y/n stood a bit straighter at his parting statement, and soon the turtle spoke up. “We are both coming with you, Leo. We’re not going to let you wander the forest alone.”

       It was Leo’s turn to stiffen as he turned to face his brother once again. “Both of you? Why?”

       “Because it’s morning training and Mockingbird came up with the walk idea.” 

       Leo’s eyes then flickered to the woman in question. He studied her for a moment before looking back at Raph and shaking his head. “No need, you and I will be fine. I have a lot to catch up on anyway and she can’t even answer me right now.” 

       “I can answer.” Y/n signed frantically before swallowing and trying to speak. “I-I, can hel–” her voice died on delivery and turned into a coughing fit. 

       “Don’t push yourself,” Raph scolded, then looked back at his brother. “She can walk can’t she? And besides, i’ll just translate until you learn how to–”

       “I’m not going to learn Raph.” Leo cut his younger brother off, using a tone that made it obvious that his mind was made up and he wouldn’t be changing it. While they didn’t realize it, their faces must have changed, since Leo soon groaned and turned to face the forest once more. “Just stay here Y/n. Tell the others we’ll be back soon.”

       For a moment, Y/n felt like she understood, and she hated it. Her chest tightened, her throat began to burn, she could feel tears welling in her eyes but she forced them away. At that moment, she decided her mind was wrong. What she heard could be interpreted differently. Maybe it wasn’t he’s choosing to not learn how to speak to her. Maybe it wasn’t that he’s content with the idea of them never having a conversation. Maybe he’s ok with just waiting it out until the fateful day that she can form full sentences. Maybe, all he meant was that he didn’t think he’d have enough time to learn. 

       This couldn’t be a final straw. It couldn’t be him shutting her out. In a few hours, he’d look at her again. Maybe a day tops. He’s just getting used to things. Soon he’ll touch her hand, hold her, and not run from the idea of them sharing a bed in the same way they had for months prior to the invasion. 

       But then again, he didn’t just refuse their language. 

       He called her by her name. Y/n couldn’t remember a time post him giving her the nickname Finch that he used her real name. Scanning her mind, the few occurrences when Leo did use her real name were all back in her apartment. Before they were both free, before they became them. The most painful irony of it is that the first time he ever used her name was moments after discovering that he could speak again after his throat recovered from smoke damage. Her heart sank further into her stomach, and Y/n knew she was moments away from a  spiral when suddenly a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.

       “Are you okay?” Raphael asked her, and instantly Y/n began forcing her mind to focus. 

       “Go. He doesn't know the way.” She signed hastily. 

       Much to her dismay, Raphael did not instantly obey. Instead he reached out and tilted her chin to face him before signing his response, “You’re avoiding the question.”

       “I am.” Y/n admitted with a sad smile before she ushered him off again. “Now go, make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.  I’ll just… go clean something.” 

       With final goodbyes exchanged, she went back into the farm house and made a b-line for the kitchen. If there was one thing that Y/n was good at, regardless as to where she lives, it was making a schedule of house work and sticking to it. Today was Thursday, which means deep cleaning the kitchen. Usually she would wait until after everyone woke up and made breakfast for themselves, but she knew she needed to keep busy. Since they went to the store yesterday there were plenty of low mess foods everyone could eat. 

       Mentally she noted the things she would need to grab as she approached the sink and started cleaning up from her and Raph’s eggs. As she worked, she noted that there were no new dishes, meaning Leo didn’t bother to eat before training. It was an old habit he had, she knew that, his brother often talked about how before she moved in the whole lot of them would skip breakfast on the regular. It put a bad taste in her mouth. The idea of them going into the rigorous training Splinter organized on empty stomachs. It just wasn’t good for them, and in this moment with Leo sinking back into that habit, it made her happy that she talked Raph into going on just a walk today. 

       She shook her head. Focus. Focus on anything else. Anything, and anyone other than Leo. While she might not be able to talk, Y/n’s mind still knew how to ramble, and if she wasn't careful, she’d end up on a downward spiral until something else took her attention. What did she need for the kitchen? Cleaning supplies lived mostly in the hall closet. She’d need the broom, the mop, soap, rags, and cooler for Ice Cream kitty to sit in while she cleaned out the fridge. Broom, Mop, Soap, Rags, Cooler. She recited it like a mantra, going as far as to mouth each word as she drained the water from the sink.

       “Whatcha trying to mutter their pidge?” Y/n just about jumped out of her skin at Casey’s voice making the man chuckle as he reached past her for a coffee mug. “Jump much?”

       “Fuck off Casey, and wash that cup when your done.” Y/n signed back with a sigh before opening the cabinet under the sink to pull out Icecream Kitty’s cooler. 

       She could hear the man chuckling from behind her, but soon it faded into a curious hum. “Wait, you're starting in the kitchen now? I thought you were going with Raph and Leo this morning.” 

       Y/n sighed again, it would appear her plan of distraction was useless when put up against the ever observant Casey Jones. “Leo wanted to go with Raph, alone.”

       “Seriously? I thought he’d be all over the idea of hanging out with you. I mean it’s been three months and your last date didn’t go very well.”

       “Last date?” Y/n raised an eyebrow. “You mean nearly getting killed by the shredder during the Kranng invasion?” 

       “Yeah Date,” he smiled. “April and I go on ninja dates all the time.” 

       The woman nodded noncommittally, “sure, well at least April looks at you.”

       “Yeah that is weird. He’s not even looking at you when you aren’t looking. What's that all about?”

       “No idea.” Y/n replied before opening the freezer and scratching under Kitty’s chin.

       Casey watched the wrestling match of Y/n trying to put the feline into her cooler for a few moments while sipping his coffee before speaking again. “Do you want me to try talking to him for you?”

       Y/n huffed at the question. It’s once she had been asking herself all day. Did she want someone to talk to Leo about this for her? The immediate answer was no, because she wanted to talk to him, she didn't want to have to rely on a third party. The unfortunate truth of the matter, however, is the fact that thanks to the shredder Y/n couldn’t speak on her own anymore. Not yet at least. She would need to tell someone else to investigate, or at the very least, need someone to translate for her which was just a pain. So the easy option was to just have someone go ask right? Wrong!

       If she did that she would have to worry about it irritating Leo, or hearsay on the story’s way back to her ears. It was too many steps, too many people. In all honesty she was still clinging to the hope that this was simply a growing pains thing and he would be over it soon. So finally getting Kitty into her cooler, Y/n turned back to Casey, her hands ready to wave off the suggestion.

       “He just woke up yesterday, I don’t want to bother him.”

       “I guess, but Pidge,” There it was, the tone that made her stomach drop. It was a rare change to hear from Casey but that almost made it worse. Nonchalance to dead serious as he pushed off the counter to approach her, free hand reaching out to squeeze her shoulder in a comforting matter as their eye contact lingered. “Just remember, you are just as much a part of this weird ass family and anyone else in this house. We don’t take well to anyone hurting our family, even if the threat is from the inside.”

       She nodded. Y/n did know that, and she knew that if this came to a head, and in the end she did get her, the family would help pick up the pieces. But that wasn’t the case. Not yet at least. So Y/n simply smiled while removing the man’s hand from her shoulder, giving it a squeeze before releasing it.

       “Thanks Casey, but really. I’m fine.”

       “Whatever you say,” Casey shrugged, a smirk reappearing on his face along with his usual jaunting tone. “I do have one more question though.” Y/n rolled her eyes and turned back to the freezer to start pulling out all of the newly bought food items so she can give the shelf a quick clean. Even so, she waved him on to go ahead and ask his question. “Why do you always clean the kitchen the day after we go shopping, wouldn’t it be easier to do the day before?”

       “Force of habit.” Y/n signed back quickly as she set down her final stack of boxes. That was the simple answer after all, but Casey’s quirked eyebrow let her know that she would need to elaborate. Popping her fingers she got to work detailing out her explanation.  “Back when I lived with my dad we always cleaned the kitchen on wednesday, after he died I stuck to the same schedule and again when i moved into the place the Shredder got me. Then when I lived in the lair, Wednesday was always pizza and movie night, which made it easy to clean the kitchen. I guess I just can’t break the cycle.”

       “So… you're afraid of change.”

       Y/n hated the fact that she froze for a moment at the accusation, but she was fast to shake the targeted feeling away in favor of a defense. “I’m not afraid of anything.’

       “Well that’s bullshit but ok.” Casey chuckled as he finally started to leave the kitchen and Y/n in peace. “Have fun in here Pidge, call me when you need to do the upper cabinets.” 

       Off he went, leaving Y/n in the kitchen with her arms crossed and lips pulled into a pout. She wasn’t afraid of change, she was a creature of habit; those were two different things. If she was afraid of change she wouldn't have left her apartment to move into the lair. Yeah, that was reason enough to say Casey was wrong. After all, having a schedule, and liking that schedule was good. Great even. A comfort. Casey was ridiculous, she decided then went back to work placing the rest of the freezer foods next to Ice Cream kitty who meowed at her.

       ‘I know what a dip, right! I’m not afraid of change.” Y/n signed to the cat, only to earn herself another meow and a look at read clearly as ‘you’re bullshitting yourself.’ “Don’t give me that look.” she bickered before turning away with the disgruntled thought of, Why am I arguing with a cat made of ice cream?

***

       Busy, busy, busy, just keep busy. Y/n mentally recited as she spent the morning deep cleaning the kitchen before moving ahead to the downstairs hallway and the sitting room. Before the kitchen was completed Leo and Raph returned with Leonardo limping more than before. Y/n tried to ask what had happened but was ignored until Raph managed to get his older brother to ease in the sitting room for a morning nap. Turns out Donnie’s medicine made him sick. Raph was relieved when the girl told him that rest was in fact the best solution. 

       When she got to cleaning the sitting room it was late afternoon and Leo was awake once again. With a smile she brought him in a sandwich then got to work. About half way through she collected his plate, happy to see it empty. Still, they didn’t speak or exchange more than quick glances as she scurried around the room. By the time she finished the others were calling for her as they filed outside for afternoon training. Of course, they also invited Leo but he turned them down while Y/n smiled with a thumbs up, letting her know she would be there.

       That was when her mind began to race. Carefully standing she made her way to a wardrobe in the sitting room that they had used as a bit of a weapons closet. Piece by piece she strapped on her belts and sheaths before gathering up her various blades. Out of instinct, when her Kunai and Tanto were placed Y/n reached in again to grab Leo’s katanas. Her heart raced. He had them still, leaning against the arm of his chair. She would have to ask him for them, which means signing at him, which means being ignored again. Could she handle that blow on her mental health? Was it even worth it? 

       No, she could just train without it, it wasn’t a big deal. She only used them for a third of her training anyhow, being sure to spend her time evenly with all of her weapons. A day of just her Tanto and Kunai could be a good thing. But then again, there is what is unspoken if she chose to do that. Going out without the swords meant one of two things. Either one, she was too afraid to ask, something that prior to this morning would have been unimaginable, or two, Leo said no, which at least made more sense. 

       She had to at least ask. She wasn't afraid of Leo, she loved him, and he loved her. It was just the changes. Too many at once, that's why he was distant. Nothing to worry about. Beside the worst he could say is no, and that would just be him worrying about her safety, normal Leo things. Standing straighter, she moved forward, her mind officially made up. 

       Y/n waited for a second in front of Leo’s chair, hoping he would simply look her way because she was there, but when it didn’t work she clapped. That heard her his attention at least for a few fleeting seconds. Their eyes met, and he was soft and loving, but then they trained down scanning her. In a flash, that love was gone, replaced with what looked like disgust as he looked away. Biting her cheek, Y/n tried to not read into that, and instead started looking for her back up way of communicating. Her old notebook.

       Yes, she hated it, but there wasn’t really another option if Leo would look at her for a friendly game of charades, not to mention he didn’t even want to learn TSL so that was pretty much a bust. So instead, she reached beside him into the side table drawer for her notebook and a pen. Then flipping though ehr notebook she found the first clear page and wrote out her request. 

       ‘Can I borrow your swords?’  

       She then placed the notebook into Leo's lap and watched as he read it with confusion. The turtle then looked towards the fireplace as he handed back the notebook and replied. “Why do you need my swords?”

       ‘Practice’ she wrote back.

       “Practice?” He questioned. “But you don’t even know how to use them.” 

       ‘Raph has been teaching me, it’s not a lot, but it’s something. So can I borrow them?’ 

       He read that explanation a few times before handing back the book for a final time with a sigh, his hand lazily indicating his weaponry. “Fine whatever, not like I'll be needing them.” 

       Y/n bit her lip and waited. Silently watching as Leonardo found interest in tracing each stone of the fireplace with his eyes rather than look at her. His statement was telling. It was evident that to him, there wasn’t much hope left, at least not in regards to his recovery. Once again, her heart clenched. She wanted to say something to help, but the option was stripped from her months ago. So instead she bowed respectfully, as a student should to her sensei, before stepping forward and gently kissing the side of his head, as a lover should. She hoped that he understood what she wanted to say.

       It’ll be ok. Thank you. I respect you. I love you.

       She allowed her lips an extra moment to linger before stepping away, grabbing the blades as she moved, then finally Y/n left the room and ultimately the house. 

       Jumping down the old pouch steps caught the attention of everyone who was warming up for the battle royal sparring match that was no doubt about to take place. Well warming up is a generous term. It was more of chatting / bicking while putting half effort into stretches and or half-hazardly flinging around their weapons under the guise of showing off some sort of new trick. Yeah, training without a designated sensei wasn’t exactly a sophisticated affair. Still, all conversation and movement stalled when Y/n approached with a small wave while attempting to properly resize Leo's sheath to her smaller form once again. 

        “He’s letting you use them still?!” Casey gasped in amazement, breaking the silence while pointing at Y/n’s borrowed weaponry. “That means he talked to you!” 

       Y/n forced a half smile as she finished strapping the swords to her back before signing her response half-heartedly. “eh, kinda.” 

       “What do you mean kinda?” Mikey asked, head tilting slightly to the side.

“I had to use my notebook, and he seemed angry and generally defeated. I feel so bad for him.” Y/n explained .  “I wish I knew more of what was going on inside of his head.”  

       “I tried asking him about it on the walk today,” Raph grumbled as he stretched. “He told me to drop it then started getting mad about how close you and I seemed.” 

       April scoffed as her brow pinched together in her signature disgruntled expression. “That’s a bit hypocritical.” 

       “Lay off him a little bit. He’s just adjusting, I think.” 

       “He’s hurting you, and that’s not okay.” The other woman argued but Y/n was fast to wave her off.

       “I’m fine, now someone come spar with me please.” When she finished Y/n drew a sword and turned on her heel, marching to the middle of the yard, their unofficial sparring mat.

       Silence followed, none really feeling ready to end the conversion, though it was evident that in Y/n’s mind at least it was over. So, reading the room Donnie stepped forward with his bo. “Okay, but don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because we are lab partners.”

***

       Just as the morning had, the afternoon turned to evening slowly. By time crickets could be heard, pizza had been ordered and eaten, and the fires were both lit. Most of the family, ie, everyone but Leo, had gathered in the main living room to watch Mikey’s television show as a form of mandated family time. It was simple, mundane, but consistent, so they liked it, even if most of them thought the show was outdated and hard to watch at times. 

       As a commercial played across the screen, Y/n looked over her shoulder towards the sitting room where Leo was. April was dropping him off tea in place. She had gone the first two times, but it was harder than she wanted to admit to walk into the same room as leo. To stand beside him, to offer him tea, and have him not even acknowledge her. Give him time, it’s only been a day, she recited over and over again, hoping that it would find a place to settle. Sighing she leaned further back into the cushions and tried to distract herself with the show, but it was pointless.

       That's when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning she looked at Donnie, just in time to catch the beginning of his signing. “How are you doing? We didn’t have a check up today.”

       “Mentally, or Physically?” she asked in return.

       Donnie’s expression tightened at the question. “Considering you want me to specify, I’ll take it you're not doing great in any sense.”

       “I’ll be okay,” Y/n quickly signed with a smile. “I’ve said a few words here and there today. All hurt still, but I was understood. Ask Casey and April, I was practicing with them.” 

       “Well that’s something at least.” he muttered under his breath, then he too went back to watching the television show. 

       Or at least they tried to, but as soon as they settled, Leo’s voice echoed from the other room. “I just can’t stop thinking about Master Splinter. Maybe he’s not really gone.” there was an inkling of hope in his tone, which made what had to come next so much hearder. 

       “We saw it happen,” “Shredder threw him down a drain pipe”

       Humming April decided to join the conversation. “Maybe Leo is right, I mean Splinter was a great ninja master.”

       “Greatest in a century.”

       “Hey dudes! The next episode is starting.” Mikey cut them off excitedly, successfully ending the conversation in a way that made Y/n wonder if he was doing it intentionally. Regardless they all turned away from each other to the television, and in the same moment all of the lights in the house flicked off, leaving the room solely illuminated by the orange hues of the fire. 

       Casey was the first to groan at the inconvenience. “Oh man, you've gotta be kidding me.”

       “It’s just a blown fuse.” Donnie sighed as he pushed off of the couch and began walking towards the hall where the fuse box was located. “I’ll have it fixed in two shakes of a turtle’s tail.”

       There was a silent understanding that shadowed the room as Donnie made his way out to start repairs. At least they had fire light, or they did for about five more seconds. For the second a breeze came down through the chimney, the weak fire was extinguished. Once again there was a groan, but this one was collective.  

       “Great looks like we need more fire wood.” Raph sighed before irritatingly opening up the side table and pulling out a flashlight. 

       See this as a cue to jump in, Y/n moved into the light and signed her plan. “I can gather what’s left behind the barn.”

       Raph nodded to her. “You do that, I'll try to get more cut.”

       The pair then made their way out to the yard to get to work on their individual tasks Y/n collected the rest of the firewood in her arms and wandered back to the house while Raph entered the barn for the ax. By the time she got back into the house, Donnie had already fixed the lights which made her smile, and increased her chance of starting the fire exponentially. Her smile remained her whole way into the sitting room, only faltering when she saw Leonardo, who apparently hadn't bothered to move throughout the commotion. 

       She shook her head, forcibly moving the thoughts from her mind before she could spiral with his uncharacteristic behavior. Unsteady Y/n focused on meticulously stacking the wood beside the first place before choosing a few logs to place within the hearth and ignite with the matches they keep on the mantle. Y/n punctuated her work with a nod when the flames roared to life. Content, she went to take her leave, pushing away her desire to stop and try to hold a conversation with Leonardo. Not only would they be stuck in the language barrier once again, but at this point, it seemed that the turtle himself had no interest in speaking with her.

       Maybe that was why when she heard his voice, her whole body tensed. She had already reached the arch way, her hand resting on the wood when he spoke. Her nails dug into the wood, her spine straightened, and her head whipped around just to make sure she didn’t imagine it. 

       “Thank you,” He had said, and when Y/n looked she had just caught his mask ties settled back against his shoulder, proving that he too had been looking in her direction. Iit wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep a smile on her face as she cleaned up the kitchen for the final time of the night. 

       The expression remained until she wandered back into the living room and did her obligatory ‘mom of the group head count’. Easy count first, two humans accounted for. Turtles next. Leaning back slightly, Y/n took notice that Leo was still sitting by the fireplace, turtle number one. Turning toward the living room she saw purple and orange mask tails, turtles three and four, but where the heck was turtle number three? Y/n’s expression twisted as she realized the gap, and she swiftly approached the others, clapping for their attention.

       “Anyone seen Raph?” she signed, and instantly everyone began looking around, making it clear that they had yet to realize he wasn’t back yet. 

       “We better go outside and look for him,” April suggested and everyone agreed, even Leo who had been listening in on the commotion with concern. 

       Slowly they filed out into the yard and started looking for him throughout the property while Mieky screamed his older brother's name. Was it loud and obnoxious, yes, but it definitely wouldn’t be missed if the missing turtle was simply in the barn or something. Which is why everyone’s anxieties peaked when after thirty minutes of searching and screaming there was still no sign of him. 

       “Alright we split up,” Leonardo finally commanded as he limped towards the rest of the group. “Casey and April, you guys take that way. Mikey and Donnie you take that way.” 

       “Split up?” Mikey questioned. “Are you Loco homie?” 

       Meanwhile, Donnie looked appalled for an entirely different reason. “Casey and April go off alone? Together?!”

       With an irritated sigh, Leo bit back. “Mikey and Donnie go that way.” 

       His younger brother groaned with irritation as Leo turned and limped back towards the pouch, prompting April to call out. “What about you?”

       “I’ll wait at the farmhouse, in case Raph comes back.” he then continued on his way as the others split up leaving one person without an assignment.

       With everyone else heading off in their respective directions, Y/n knew she would have to get his attention on her own. She contemplated clapping, but since he wouldn’t understand her signing it just seems rude. So instead she opted for the slightly more painful route and sucked in a breath.

       “Me?” She squeaked and for a moment Leonardo looked at her, and starring in what appeared to be wide eyed amazement. Of course, like every other time he looked her way, it only lasted a second before his eyes fell to the ground.

       “Start a patrolling lap around the edge of the property, you should be able to see you the whole time, but you have your knives so if anything happens when you're out of eye line you can defend yourself until I can make it over.” He ordered as he waved her off to carry out the task.

       Y/n didn’t attempt to argue. She didn’t have the words nor the desire to anyway. She instead let herself linger on a single thought that arose while listening to her assignment. Leo still wanted to keep her close, and within his sights. He was still wanting to protect her if needed. Even if he wouldn’t look at her, even if they hardly spoke all day, that cemented in her mind that Leonardo still cared about her, at least a little bit. 

***

       Show tunes lazily played on repeat in her head as Y/n made circle after circle around the property, while boredly spinning a kunai on the tip of her finger. So far, there was no sign of Raphael and no sounds other than the hooting of owls or the rustling of leaves in the wind. At this point, she was beginning to feel a bit like a caged animal, but felt as if she could really protest. After all, the other two teams were out searching the woods, a much more daunting task, and Raphael was still missing. The other thing that kept her marching was the fact that every single time she rounded to the front of the house,she saw Leonardo in a different location. It was a small victory, but it meant that he too was doing something.

       With a small smile she looked ahead towards her next corner, the one that would bring her to the front again, and she began to wonder where Leo might be. Maybe he made his way to the swing now? Or he could be pacing the font drive? She didn't care honestly, anything was better than moping around inside. This in mind, imagine her shock when she heard the sounds of his swords cutting through the air. Curious, she picked up her base and began scanning the yard. In a flash, her eyes landed on leonardo. He was at the practice dummy this time with his katana drawn. A warmth filled her chest, slowing her steps and she tried to not disturb his practice.

       For a few seconds, he felt like nothing was different. Neither of them had been hurt. It was like being back home in the dojo. Her bustling around to get things done, while Leo trained in the central room specifically so she had company. There was an invisible force wrapping around her, pulling her towards him. Encouraging her to tighten her walking perimeter just enough so that when she passed she could reach out to him, or jump out of line just long enough to kiss his cheek, just as she would before. 

       Y/n could feel her feet moving in his direction, smile never fading as she grew eager to be close to him. When there were only a few more spaces between them however, Leonardo suddenly fell to the ground. Instantly reality took back over its rightful place, and Y/n’s smile fled. She ran to his side, quickly wrapping her hands around his bicep as he trembled in pain. 

       Under his breath Leo swore while attempting to right himself before giving in just enough to lean into Y/n’s touch. “Thanks.” He whispered to her before using her support to push off of the ground.

       While leaning onto Y/n’s chest, Leo reached for his crutch and secured it under his arm. A fleeting glance was thrown her way, but nothing more. Only silence lingered in the space between them. Y/n wanted to ask the obvious, if he was ok, but she couldn’t, and leo. Well, he didn't know what else to do other than say thank you again and encourage her to start walking. Not seeing another option he was about to do, just that was a scream ripped through the air, causing them both to look towards the forest. 

       Just as they did the bushes started to rustle, and not a moment later, April appeared, bursting through the brush with a look of terror painted across her features. Intently the pair tried to rush to her side. In their haste Leonardo fell again, but Y/n forced herself to press on. Unfortunately as soon as she got close enough to reach out to her friend, a vine shot from the bushes and wrapped around her ankle. She attempted to scream, but all it did was make her throat burn. Still, she was determined to not get taken away. Reaching behind her back, Y/n grabbed her tanto and began cutting at the vine. Luckily, her blade was sharp enough that with a single swing the plant snapped and slithered away back into the woods bringing April out of sight along with it. 

       Y/n sat stunned for a few moments, wondering if she had really witnessed what she had, but was quickly thought back to herself when she heard Leo call out to her. He was shouting for help. Scrambling to her feel\t Y/n turned and saw the turtle in blue weakly reaching out for her, similarly to how April was only moments before. Luckily, there weren't vines keeping them apart as Y/n approached and once again helped Leoanrdo to his feet. 

       “Come on,” He ordered as soon as he was standing. “We have to go after her.” and of course, Y/n nodded then obeyed.

       Silently they began to trek through the forest starting in the direction April and the vine disappeared in. they soon found a path of crushed foliage and assumed that had been where April originally came from. Exchanging a nod, the pair silently agreed that that was the way to go. Together they pressed on, until they stumbled upon a small shed on the edge of the property line.

       “Is that a hunting lodge?” Leo asked in a hushed tone, and Y/n nodded. 

       April had told stories of growing up at the farm house, and apparently in the winter her uncles would come to hunt on the property. The idea of a lodge being tucked away in the woods wasn’t far-fetched, so when she and Mikey stumbled on it during a hike about a month ago they shrugged it off and hadn’t even bothered to go inside. Now, she wishes they had so she knew whether or not whatever took April could be in there. 

       It was as likely a place as any, Y/n thought to herself before taking a step forward. Before she could get far, however, Leo grabbed her arm and pulled her back with enough force that she ended up flush with his chest. She jumped at the contact and instantly looked up, only to see Leo with his secondary eyelids closed, staring ahead at the hunting lodge.

       “Stay quiet,” He whispered to her. “Go hide behind those trees and as soon as I get the kidnapper distracted, jump in.”

       Determination filled Y/n expression and she nodded, then as soon as leonardo’s grip on her loosened she crept away, hiding with the cover of the trees tanto at the ready. She could feel the turtle’s eyes on her as she slipped into the shadows, proud at how she obeyed. Taking a second longer, he then continued his plan and began yelling for help. Patiently, Y/n watched until Leo’s screams were answered by a creature emerging from the hunting lodge.

       Her eyes widened when she saw what she could only describe as a forest monster. He was made of vines and foliage, and wore Casey’s painted hockey mask as his only face. It had to be a mutant, her mind told her, but how. How was there a mutant all the way out here? While her mind raced, Leo acted, throwing a ninja star into the back of the creature’s head making it turn towards him.

       “Give me back my family, freak.” Leo commanded as he ditched his crutch in favor of drawing his swords. 

       She watched silently as Leonardo charged, waiting for an opening with bated breath. Right before she could move however, she saw the monster knock one of Leo's swords from his hand, causing it to go flying directly towards her. Eyes widening she ducked further back into the woods just in time for the sword to embed itself right where she was standing. Blinking at it for a moment, she thanked the lord that she couldn’t scream, otherwise that near death experience would have caused her to blow her own cover. When the shock subsided however, she remembered that she needed to move. 

       Resheathing her tanto, Y/n jumped for the katana before running out into the clearing towards Leo and the monster. As she rushed the moneter picked up leo and started throwing him around like a ragdoll. Now even more motivated to act, she all but jumped onto the monster's back, stabbing though its upper body. While it didn’t seem to hurt the beast it did catch its attention.

       Throwing Leo to the side, the monster’s arm reaches behind himself to tear Y/n off of him. As he pulled she kept her grip on the katana, Dragging it across the monster's body, but much to her dismay, each cut she made was quickly filled by more vines. She gasped in shock at this, but it was short lived, as the monster gripped her tighter, pushing all the air from her body. The thing growled at her then started to move towards Leo, who had used Y/n’s distraction as his chance to crawl towards his previously abandoned crutch. 

       He grabbed it as soon as the monster approached and managed to stab his crutch through the monster's face. The thing screamed out in pain, throwing Y/n from his grip as he crumbled. Fighting for breath, Y/n tried it right herself as quickly as possible, but before she could get to her feet, she was pulled up by her upper arm.

       Looking up frantically she saw Leo standing here, holding one of his swords out of her. “You ok?” 

       Nodding, Y/n managed a strained smile before following the turtle’s eyes back to his outstretched hand. He lifted the swords once again, a clear indication that he was offering it to her. When she took it, he turned and yanked his other katana free from the monster before leading the way back towards the hunting lodge. 

       “Leo! Y/n!” April cried as the two of them entered the lodge and looked around.

       The pair froze however when they saw a pile of moss with raph’s mask laying on it. “What the heck is that?!” Leo shouted their question.”

       “It’s Raph, long story.” Donnie explained. “Quick get us out of here.”

       At that the pair nodded before moving forward. Leo cut his brothers down from the ceiling, where they were hanging by vines, in a swinge swing, while Y/n moved to the humans, and with much more cautious movements cut them free of their own viney prisons. When the work was done, Leo collapsed, the pain from the recent battle finally shining through. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to deal with his pain, as from outside they heard the monster approaching one again. 

       Everyone screamed before rushing to barricade the door. When they did what they could, the team stood together, weapons drawn, waiting for the door to be broken down, only to jump from their skin as the monster instead broke through the lodge’s side wall. When the shock faded the fight was on. One by one, everyone attacked the monster until they could hardly stand, but it wasn’t enough. 

       The monster recovered from all of their attacks and began to take the offensive himself. Carelessly the creature threw Donnie and Mikey from the shred before knocking the girls against the wall. He then tossed Casey to the side as well before stalking towards Leonardo. It was then that the team’s leader caught onto what exactly the monster was after. It was the mutagen medicine Donnie wanted him to take.

       From there it became less of a battle and more of a giant game of keep away as Leo drew the monster close by shaking the vile before throwing it towards Y/n. Acting fact the girl caught it making the monster head towards her. With wide eyes she took off in a run, aiming directly between its legs. With katana in hand she swiped at the monster's leg as she rushed below him before emerging on the other side and tossing the vile to April who ran. 

       The vile then went from april to donnie, to mikey, until the humans managed to band together with chains while leo attacked with a pitch fork. In a flash the monster got a pitch fork to the face before he was tied to a nearby tree. With the monster detained the team collectively  took three steps back before crumbling in on themselves trying to catch their breath. 

       "That should hold him,” Donnie said with a nod. “Now we gotta get him back to the lab.” 

       “You really think you can save Raph?” Leo asked his brother.

       “Honestly i don’t know leo,” The turtle in purple admitted, but that wouldn’t keep them from trying.

***

       With a huff Y/n staggered back from Raph’s side until her calves hit the hay bale prompting her to sit beside Leonardo. She gave herself the grace to take a few breaths before allowing her head to lull to the side. Silently she scanned his hunched form. It was sweet that he was staying by Raph’s side throughout this chaos, he was also quite helpful as they hurried to help reverse the damage that the Creep had done. She was thankful, both for his help, and for her own ability to push aside the fluttering feeling in her stomach well enough to actually focus on the task at hand. 

       Now that the work was done, and all that was left was a waiting game she let the feeling sink in. Y/n loved Leonardo, and it would appear that it was a hard feeling to shake. Even with everything they’ve been through, especially recently, her heart still fluttered at the smallest reminder of why she fell so hard for him. One of the countless reasons being how devoted he is to his family. Freud must be laughing from his grave as Y/n connected the dots that she admired this trait of Leo’s so much because it reminded her of her father. Even so, Y/n couldn’t find it in herself to care why it was she liked this side of him, she simply enjoyed the warmth in her chest she felt when she saw the love of his family radiate off of her terrapin. 

       The smallest of smiles appeared on her lips as she continued to watch him so focused on her own thoughts and emotions that she didn’t register that the turtle had even said anything, only that his lips had moved. It took a flicker of his eyes to hers for Y/n to sit up in a jolt, eyes wide as saucers, painfully aware that she was caught staring. 

       Frantically Y/n signed, ‘what?’ but this only earned her a pained look of confusion as Leo focused solely on her hands. Stealing her breath Y/n attempted the alternative, and croaked out, “What?”

       “Oh…” Leo replied, his own voice breaking, almost more than Y/n’s. His eyes then took a daring glance back towards her face before he looked away completely, looking only at Raphael. “I asked, if this is what you and Raph did for months?” he explained and Y/n nodded. When she realized he couldn’t see her response she smiled, gave a thumbs up and thrust her hand in his line of sight. Leo took another shaky breath as he reached out for her hand, holding it in both of his. “Nothing else?”

       Her smile grew, despite the concern in his voice. She knew what the concern meant. Leo still cared about her too, he still loved her. Y/n wasn't sure why he couldn’t look at her for longer than a second, but thus far tonight, he had fought beside her, and protected her. Now, they were sitting together, shoulder to shoulder, talking, touching. She didn’t realize just how desperate she had been for this moment. So, she decided to cherish it. Leaning her head on his shoulder, Y/n squeezed Leo’s hand then lowered their conjoined hands down to her lap.

       Nuzzling close she whispered her reassurance. “Y-yours.”

       Leo then tilted his head, resting it on top of Y/n’s as he sighed. “My Finch.”

       They stayed that way, in silence, for the rest of the night while Donnie worked, the turtle in purple not so secretly stole glances at his brother and lab partner, his own smile appearing. Happy for normalcy. Happy that once again, they finally seemed to have each other.

Chapter Text

        Y/n woke that morning to the feeling of a kiss being pressed against her forehead. At first it was a gentle wake up call, a hazy feeling, like something from a dream, until the shock set in. That feeling of cold chapped lips being pressed against her skin was one she hadn’t felt in months and it really threw her off. To the point that she urgently sat up in bed, her head whipping in the direction of the culprit just in time to watch a chuckling leo leave the room.

        “Don’t get out of bed too fast, your coffee isn’t ready.” he laughed as he went out the door as if he hadn't just caused Y/n’s whole world to spasm. 

        It has been about two weeks now since Leonardo had woken up from his coma, but things were still very weird. Sure after the first three nights Leo snagged Y/n’s wrist and all but forced her to share a bed with him again, but he still couldn’t even look at her for more than a second. Yeah he’d talk to her now, but not in any meaningful way, just a few sentences here or there as if trying to start a conversation only to close up as soon as Y/n started to sign a reply. And yes, after two weeks of practice Y/n had pretty much gotten her single word answers back, but yes or on questions fueled little more than one sided conversation.  

        They were better, in so many ways, but far from back to wear they were. So this small action. This good morning kiss. It came so far out of left field that Y/n was tempted to call foul on the play. She stayed sitting in bed stunned for a few more moments before flinging away the covers and racing down stairs to the kitchen. When she made it to the arch way, she saw Leo chatting with Donnie near the fridge, looking at the chore chart she started to build last night as they waited for coffee to brew. 

        The pair must have felt her staring since they both glanced over at her and smiled, Leo's a closed eye one like all the grins she had gotten from the turtle as of late. As much as it usually irked her, in the moment it helped her breath. He still wasn’t looking at her, so he hadn’t gotten possessed or magically gone back to normal overnight. Somehow, that was comforting. 

        “You okay? You look like you saw a ghost.” Donnie commented as his eyes scanned over y/n’s figure. 

        “Leo,” she huffed, voice staring more than usual due to the morning. “Kiss?” 

        To her surprise the turtle in blue simply chuckled again as he turned away from her in favor of heading towards the coffee pot. “You ran down here like a bat out of hell over that?” 

        Donnie blinked as he looked between the pair, thoroughly confused. “Am I missing smoothing?”

        “Leo, kiss!” Y/n shouted, or said louder since shouting was still a bit of a stretch for her.

        Leo snorted as he passed Y/n her coffee mug. “I kissed her forehead like I do every morning.” 

        Y/n scoffed at his statement and put down her mug with a bit more force than necessary. She then began to sign at Leo. “You haven’t kissed my forehead in the morning since we left New york!” 

        “Translation?” He hummed while glancing at his younger brother. 

        “Uh…she’s calling bullshit.” Donnie paraphrased, still a bit confused. 

        “Okay, would you prefer I not kiss your forehead?” Leo asked as he sipped his own mug, the cheeky glint in his eyes making it known that he was simply poking at the girl for fun at this point. 

        “No!” she objected before falling into a small coughing fit thanks to her throat strain. With her eyes to the side she signed an explanation. “You just surprised me.”

        Leo hummed joyfully one final time before he replied. “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to throw you off so badly.” his tone was earnest, so Y/n accepted his words, but now she simply felt foolish.  

        “Again?” she rasped, and luckily the turtle understood.  

        Pushing off the counter, Leo walked towards the entry of the kitchen, and kissed Y/n’s forehead before moving on.“Don’t forget to double check your list before everyone wakes up.”

        Y/n nodded with a smile then waved as both boys left, before she picked up her coffee and walked back to her chore chart to continue delegating work. Today was the day she had been longing for since she woke up at the farm house. A deep cleaning extravaganza. Everyone had been putting it off first, because she was asleep, then because Leo was still asleep, and now… now they couldn't escape her. Y/n would have a clean house if it was the last thing she did damn it. 

        Carefully she assigned work by room. Raph would take the living room, Leo the kitchen, Mikey the downstairs hall, Donnie the upstairs hall. April would do the bathrooms and Casey would be a bit of a gopher (mainly because hse knew he would be slacking off anyway) and Y/n herself would do the bedrooms as well as catching up on the laundry. Everything seemed fair enough especially with the understanding that everyone will help out where needed when their own tasks are done. She nodded to her paper and leaned back against the counter to sit at her coffee once again, enjoying the warmth. 

        There was only about thirty minutes of peace before the rest of the family slowly, yet ever so loudly made their way down stairs and to the kitchen. Starting with Mikey, who was no doubt acting as the household's personal alarm clock once again, everyone wandered in and waved to Y/n before grabbing coffee or a toaster pastry to start their day with. A few minutes of ideal chatter passed like normal before everyone split off once again, some of daily chores, some to morning workouts, and some to make something actually substantial for breakfast. All this happened as Y/n stayed locked in place against the counter, sipping away at her coffee while listening in. 

        It wasn’t until ten thirty, that everyone was back at the house, and Y/n began to divy up tasks. She then went to the hall closet and pulled out various buckets, sponges, mops, brooms and dusters. Anything and everything they would need to make this place spotless…at least she hoped it was everything they needed. Y/n really didn’t want to go to the store today. Luckily the inventory looked to be perfect as everyone grabbed what they would need before standing at the ready in the entryway.

        “Everyone ready?” April asked, voice filled with determination as if they were about to fight some sort of battle against the very growing army of dust bunnies in their home.

        Of course, Casey was quick to play along regardless. “Casey Jones was born ready.”

        “Let's do this.” Raph smirked, and with that everyone took off with a resounding war cry. 

        The rust of take off was so intent that Y/n thought she would fall down the stairs as she and Donnie rushed one step apart to their first tasks. They spit off when Y/n ducked down to grab a laundry basket she had set outside the master bedroom before rushing inside to gather her discarded dirty clothes and Leo's extra wraps. By the time the bed was stripped and the sheets joined the other fabrics in her basket Donnie was skillfully catching a second bucket of clean water that Mieky tossed while lowering this bucket to dirty water down to the landing. With a smile she slipped past to gather the other linens of clothes from the second bedroom before pulling down the attic stairs to get Mikey, Raph, and Casey’s things. 

        The rest of her task went by mundainly. Lugging the over filled basket to the hall closet where a washing machine was tucked away. To trade out the load of towel that was no doubt started by Donnie early this morning for her first round of linens before taking the wet towels outside to hang on a close line. 

        This is nice, she thought to herself as she pinned up another towel. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, a light breeze was lifting her ponytail off her neck, and sitting on the edge of the forest a goldfinch was singing. Y/n would be lying if she said she hated being at the farm house. It reminded her of home. Of course, New Mexico was much warmer, but the wide open spaces, the two story family home, even the porch swing made her think of when things were simpler. Back when her only worry was how her schoolmates would feel sitting in class with a girl six years younger than them. No alien invasion, no ninja overloads, no life threatening injuries. Everyone was easier then. 

        Placing her finally clothes pin Y/n sighed. She was warned that life got harder when she got older, but she doubted that this is what her parents and counselors meant. No. They probably just thought about paying bills and taxes and working nine to five. Y/n throat ached as a bubble of laughter tried to burst to life only to sound like nothing more than the tweets of goldfinch who shared their yard. Almost in response to the girls squeaks that same bird began to tweet once again, this time in short clapped chirps. It made Y/n smile as she turned towards the trees and whistled softly back. 

        The girl then shook her head and picked up her empty basket before making her way inside. Too much work needed to be done, she couldn’t waste time tweeting back at a bird. Nodding with a new determined smile, Y/n jogged up the back pouch and opened the kitchen door just in time to hear someone crash down the stairs. Eyes now wide, she rushed towards the hall to see Raph on his back at the bottom of the stairs in front of Leo, a bucket on his head and the floor below him now coated in dirty water. Not far from them in the entryway was Mikey rubbing his head.

        “Mikey! I just vacuumed.” Leo groaned. 

        “Yeah,” Raph growled as he sood throwing the bucket off his head in the process. “Well I'm about to mop the floor with him.”

        At that Y/n tossed the empty basket to the side and hurried to stand between the turtles, not wanting a fight to break out. As her hands made contact with Raph’s chest however, all thoughts were broken by Mikey’s amazed gasp.

        “Woah! Guys look at this.”

        Turning curiously, everyone, including those who were watching from upstairs, gathered around Mikey and looked to where he was pointing on the floor. Underneath where an area rug usually laid was an old trap door.

        “What? I didn’t even know we had a basement.” April said as she stared at the new discovery. 

        “What do you suppose is down there?” Leo asked the group.

        “Evil clown!” Mikey decided quickly as he hid behind his older brothers. “Evil Clown!!”

        Rolling his eyes Raph grabbed his sais. “Only one way to find out.”

        Reaching down Raph then prided open the doors revealing a staircase leading into the black abyss of a basement. Nervously Donnie spoke up, “Who’s going first.”

        “Not it!” every one shouted in an instant. Well everyone besides leonardo and Y/n.

        Looking around him, Leo groaned uncomfortably, clearly not wanting to be the fist down the stairs, something that simply made Y/n roll her eyes. Maybe it was because she grew up in a house in the middle of  nowhere new mexico, or maybe it was the fact hat at this point in her life she’s almost certain nothing could scare her more than being incapacitated in the arms of the shredder, but she thought they were all being ridiculous. The worst thing they’d find in this basement was a snake (Note: The turtle’s sister is a snake) or some rats (Again, Note: Their father is a rat). Noone had seen an outside entrance and the rug hadn’t been moved before today, so it wasn’t like anything big could be hiding down here. Well…at least nothing that wasn’t here before they were. 

        So, pushing forward she took the first two steps down the stairs before turning over her shoulder to wave the others on. Carefully, they all made their way down, squinting in the darkness as one by one they landed on the dirt floor of an unfinished basement. A few more moments passed in darkness until Raph came to Y/n’s side with a flashlight. Slowly he scanned the room, one the usual shelves and boxes until suddenly they all gasped. 

        In the center of the basement, proving Y/n’s theories regarding the place being empty was a spaceship, with tech that could only belong to…

        “The kranng.” Leonardo hissed.

        “It’s a kranng stealth ship,” Donnie elaborated as he pressed towards the front.

        “Wicked!” Casey shroud from the back, but his outburst was easily ignored. After all, based on experience, Kranng tech meant bad news, and thus far there was no evidence that this case would be any different.

        “But, how did they find us?” April stuttered out as she watched Donnie and Y/n hesitantly approach the ship to inspect it further.

        “I don’t think they did,” Donnie replied as he watched Y/n slide her fingers though the dust, leaving a clear path behind. “This ship looks like it’s been buried here for years.”

        April furred her browl, “What the heck is a Kranng ship doing underneath my house?”

        Y/n could hear the question but was too distracted to send back a response. She was too busy scanning the ship, and swiping away dust as she went until her fingers accidently made contact with an outer control panel. The girl quickly pulled her hand away when she realized what she had touched, but it was too late. The touch was just enough for the door to unseal with a hiss. Eyes widening, Y/n jumped back, colliding with Donnie's chest just as the ship's door fell to the ground with a slam. 

        The team gasped as it opened, but the shock faded fast for Leonardo, a new determination filling him as he limped to the front. “There is only one way to find out, come on.”

        The rest of the team exchanged uneasy glances but were still quick to follow. The kranng ship was as dark as the basement, leaving the group to try and interpret what was around them with squinted eyes. It seemed like a big open room, covered in computers, all made of Kranng tech. 

        Silently, as they took in the space around them, Raphael began making likes along walls with his flashlight until the shine suddenly reflected back at him. Confused, he focused only to gasp.

        “Guys… look.” he muttered and everyone obeyed.

        In the center of the ship was some sort of column filled with liquid with something floating inside of it. “Is that a person in there?” Casey asked.

        “Okay, don’t touch anything.” Donnie said quickly as he moved up to get a closer look at the new discovery. As he bent down for some nearby wires however, he looked back over his shoulder glaring towards his younger brother.“I repeat, don’t touch anything!” not a second later, the ship buzzed to life prompting Donatello to yell. “Mikey!”

        “Oops.” Mikey cringed. “I promise not to touch anything else.” 

        The ship's response to Mikey’s mistake was another hissing sound, similar to that of the outer door. Stumbling back, the team watched as the light came on within the ship, and the liquid of the column began to drain. Not a word was spoken as the hissing returned, this time, accompanied by the column opening revealing a blonde middle aged woman. 

        She was groaning as if waking from a deep sleep, her eyes seemingly refusing to open as her muscles tensed and relaxed. Everyone watched in amazement, as they realized that somehow, this woman was still alive. It was then that April’s voice burst forward from the back of the crowd.

        “Mom?” she asked hesitantly causing everyone to tense.

        There was no time to process April’s question because the woman suddenly began to move. First it was a hand on her cheek, wiping away some remaining moisture before blindly reaching for the sides of her capsule and stepping out. The woman fell for only a moment, before Donnie and Raph dove in to catch her.

        “Take it easy, ma’am.” Donnie urged.

        “Hold on,” Raph added

        Unfortunately, they only made it two steps before Mrs. O’Neil looked towards her support, her face quickly snapping from its drowsy state to a panicked expression while she rushed from their arms.“Ahh! Mutants!” 

        This time, it was Casey who caught her, while Y/n hurried to her other side to help the woman back to her feet. “Oh, uh, don’t worry, Mrs. O’Neil.” the boy hurried out. “These are good mutants.”

        At his words, the woman looked toward Y.n who nodded encouragingly before turning Mrs. O’Neil to face the turtles, who were approaching with smiling faces, clearly trying to put her at ease. Y/n then looked at Casey with a soft grin of her own, seeing that Mrs. O’Neil was looking towards the turtles with cautious yet curious eyes rather than fear. That grin faded however when Casey smirked.

        “Except for Donnie, he’s kinda a jerk.” That earned the human a smack.

        Donnie began to respond before Casey's words sank in and soon shouted his protest towards the human. 

        “Where am i?” The woman interrupted, looking around a bit frantically as she spoke. “And how do you know my…” At that moment her eyes locked with her daughter. “April? But how? Just yesterday you were only six years ol-” 

        Her statement was cut short when suddenly the woman fainted, the shock of it all seemingly being too much for her to handle. Luckily, Casey moved fast and managed to catch her before she came crashing to the floor. Not a second later, Mikey rushed in, managing just barely to catch April as she too blacked out leaving the rest of the team in eerie silence.

        Looking between them Y/n felt her stomach twist. This was weird, too weird, and yet, too familiar. Standing in a kranng ship, kranng territory and stumbling upon a long lost parent. She felt sick as her mind reminded her of when she had experienced this before. She thought of the moment she heard her father’s voice in that kranng prison. The mix of emotions that ultimately settled on unbridled joy. The whiplash that followed when that joy was torn away and replaced with betrayal when they learned what her father had been turned into. How desperately she clung to her love for him to help her move past it, and worst of all, the stab to her heart when she had to leave him to die for a SECOND time. 

        The kranng don’t take people and do nothing to them, her mind determined. Which means, as far as this woman was concerned it wasn't a matter of if they did something to her it was what. Then they had to worry about if that ‘what’ would make her for or against them. 

        Y/n let her eyes settle  fully on april as Mikey lifted her into donnie’s arms to be carried out of the ship and back to the main floor. That was her friend. Far from her closest of the bunch, but still. She cared about April and worried that if this came to a head, similarly to how things played out with her own father, would she be able to handle it? 

        There was no answer in site unfortunately, and no time to formulate one, because before she knew it, Raph was picking up Mrs. O’neil and Leo was placing his heavy hand on Y/n’s shoulder. It was time to leave the basement. Move on to the next steps, whether she feels ready to or not.

        The boys worked to get the two passed out women settled in the living room while Y/n instantly broke away from the others, needing to do something, anything, to shake the knot from her stomach. As she hurried down the hall Y/n picked up an empty laundry basket she left out and went out the back door. She knew it wouldn’t take long to take down the sheets, especially since she wouldn’t be folding them until she was back inside with a partner, but it gave her at least ten minutes of being along with the wing and mr. goldfinch. Just enough time for their stomach to settle.

        It was also, apparently enough time for April to start to stir, for when Y/n peered back into the living room prepared to ask for folding help she was greeted with the image of Donnie helping Arpils sit up straight on the couch while the others observed anxiously. All and all she seemed alright, asking the usual ‘what happened’ before looking at her mom and nodding to herself as a personal confirmation of sorts. 

        Y/n didn’t stay for April to start wondering out loud about everything, too worried that the knot would return to her if she thought too hard about it all. So instead, Y/n placed the basket down in the hall to deal with later and began making tea. When it had finished brewing she carried the kettle along with a stack of teacups back to the living room for anyone who might want some. 

        As if the clattering of her tray woke her, Mrs. O’neil began to open her eyes, and instantly looked at Y/n. The young woman froze momentarily before gesturing to the tea with a smile.

        “Oh, I’ll handle it Y/n.” April suddenly jumped in, carefully placing all the cups upright and filling one with tea to hand to her mother. “Here you go mom. Just relax.”

        “Thank you April, I’m still a little shaken.” The woman replied with a smile, though she was still eyeing the turtles cautiously as they came up beside her. “I know this is hard to believe but, the Kranng ship has been here for years. It was your Great-grandfather who discovered it. He made the mistake of awakening the Kranng, and they paid him back by experimenting on him, and his entire bloodline. They knew we were the key to unlocking their precious mutagen. We were their guinea pigs,

        After you were born, it was clear that you were special. We knew it was only a matter of time before Kranng came for you. We escaped. Kirby fled with you to the city while I was recaptured and put into status.” 

        By the time her story concluded, Y/n had passed out the rest of the tea, leaving the group to stare at the woman in awe of her story. All but Y/n herself, who once again felt herself struggling against her gut feelings. Something was still off, but she couldn’t figure it out. So instead of going slack jawed, she simply eyed the woman as she took a small sip of her tea, and forced down her usual wrinkled nose expression at the taste, feeling as if, for some reason, she needed to show no weakness. Her attention was stolen as April spoke.

        “All these years, I never knew what happened to you.” The redhead sighed heavily. “I didn’t know what to think, Dad would never tell me.”

        With a loving smile, April’s mother moved forward to cup her daughter’s cheek. “Well now you know, and now we never have to be apart again. Now where is Kirby, anyway.”

        “Kirby?” Casey started before anyone could think to stop him. “Oh, he got turned into a wicked kranng headed mutant.” Luckily Raph was close enough to punch him for that stupidly tackless explanation.

         “You had to pull a mikey didn’t you.” The turtle in red groaned before Mikey himself popped in to taunt casey, only to realize that the comment was also an indirect insult towards himself.

        “He’s just kidding Mrs. O’neil, Kirby is uh…” Leo jumped in trying to cover with some sort of lie. “On a safari in Puerto Rico, he won’t be back for a while.” 

        Looking away with his lie, Leo found his eyes meeting Y/n’s who looked unimpressed. Quickly he looked away and sipped at his tea while the conversation moved forward. Ultimately, April and her mother stood in silence embracing each other as the rest watched contently. THat was until Mieky whispered something that caught Y/n’s attention.

        “Is it just me or does April's mom seem off?”

        Raph laughed as his concern. “Like you're one to talk to.”

        “No, I'm serious!” Mikey hissed. “I got those ninja vibes yo, i don’t trust her.” 

        Turning over her shoulder Y/n tapped Mikey’s knee to get his attention before signing. “I feel it too. A bad feeling in your gut.”

        It was Donnie who scoffed this time, thought it was with a smile as he stood and walked past Y/n ruffling her hair as he went. “You two are just paranoid, not everything that happens to us is bad.”

        Yeah only MOST of it is, Y/n thought with a huff before finally getting up to hopefully rope someone into folding the sheet with her so she could finish up the rest of the day's cleaning. 

***

        By nightfall, Y/n had been unable to fully get rid of the nasty feeling in her gut. Not as hse worked, or served dinner. Not even now as she dried the rest of the dishes while watching April and her mother sit together on the swing in the yard. So far the woman had done nothing to warrant her suspicions, but Y/n’s past told ehr to be weary. That and the fact that mikey also picked up on bad vibes. There had to be something going on, something that Mrs. O’niel simply wasn’t telling them. 

        Just then, Mikey came into the kitchen and stood beside Y/n, looking over her shoulder and out the window as the mother daughter duo. “Hey nightingale, seen anything sketchy?”

        She shook her head no and the turtle clicked his tongue with discontent. “Something is going on.” He grumbled. “I’m gonna go investigate closer.” 

        Once again Y/n gave a silent response, this time a thumbs up as she opened a cabinet. It was probably good if one of them tried to get more information anyway, and as they learned at dinner April’s mom just talks over Y/n’s signs rather than letting someone translate. So she isn’t much of an option, especially if a confrontation is on the cards. Nodding to himself once more Mikey moved to the backdoor, but before he exited he glanced back at Y/n with a final question.

        “Real fast, what do you think is going on?”

        Y/n could only shrug at first before pointing to herself and rasping out “Robot dad.” she then pointed outside and shrugged again. “Robot mom?”

        “Eh, good a guess and any.” Mikey hummed. “I’m thinking a Kranng monster.”

        The girl shrugged again then signed, “Go, report back, don’t do anything stupid.”

        “On it boss girl.” 

        And with that, he was off, leaving Y/n to finish the dishes before settling down in the living room iht the other three turtles. It looked like they found some action movie on tv to watch. Seemed like as good of a distraction as any. So Hopping to the back of the couch, Y/n landed between Leo and Raph with a bounce.

        “Careful, you're still recovering.” Leo hissed as he placed a hand on her knee in an attempt to settle her.

        “Jealous of my skills, Francour?” Y/n signed back teasingly.

        “Never.” the turtle in blue replied before facing the tv one again leaving Y/n wide eyed as her hands fell back into her lap.

        She looked back at Raph who was too busy watching the show to notice what she had, but that was the second time today that Leo had replied to her without a proper translation. She wasn’t that predictable was she? That Leo could guess what she said and reply. No. He had to be learning. Picking up on her signs. But how? He can hardly look at her. Someone had to be teaching him, she determined, and for the first time since they stumbled onto the kranng ship and new warmth filled Y/n. 

        She felt loved. Loved by Leo who was trying to learn for her, and loved by whichever one of them was trying to teach him. Contently, she smiled and leaned her head on Leo’s shoulder. Below her the turtle tensed momentary before melting into the couch himself and squeezing her knee. Not this was a feeling she wanted to last.

        Unfortunately, as is her luck, the peace of their moment was crushed after only twenty minutes when the door suddenly slammed against the wall as Mrs. O’niel ran into the house screaming. In an instant the three on the couch sat up straighter and stared at the woman with wide eyes.

        “Mrs. O’niel? What happened?” Leo asked as he rose to his feet and carefully approached the woman.

        He received little more than a plethora of stutters including the words crazy, and turtle. Everyone exchanged confused glances before their attention was once again brought to the door as it opened, this time revealing a panicked april who shouted for her mother, and mikey hot on her tail.

        “April, hold on!” Mikey shouted as he too tried to enter the house, but Raph stopped him.

        “What happened?” Y/n signed to april, mind now racing from the chaos.

        “Mikey attacked my mom out of nowhere.” The red head explained in a rush.

        “Mikey…” Raph growled at his brother

        “Dudes let me explain.”

        “Just move.” his older brother interrupted before pushing him away from the door and back into the yard, no doubt to scold him. 

        Wasting no time, Leo limped over to the door himself following behind the others, and Y/n attempted to go as well, feeling as if SOMEONE would need to defend mikey. Especially since she encouraged him to spy on the O’neil. Then again she did tell him not to do anything stupid, but for as much as she loved him, this was still Mikey. 

        “Y/n wait, can you help here.” April called out to her before Y/n could make it out the door.  The girl froze and chewed at her lip anxiously but nodded none the less before turning her attention to april. “Do you mind grabbing a glass of water, while I calm her down.”

        With another nod, Y/n hurried to the kitchen and began filling a glass. As she did she tried to scan the yard but couldn’t see them. HEr only guess was that they dragged Mikey off to the barn where Casey and Donnie were working so they could interrogate him together. Like that, all the pleasantries Y/n felt from cuddling with Leo were gone, and in its place returned the knot. Both from being alone with the O’neils and from the knowledge that she was slightly at fault regarding Mikey’s verbal lashing.

        Shaking her head, Y/n returned to the living room. Only two steps in, April approached grabbing the glass with a smile before asking a sudden and unexpected question. “Do you think mom can have your and Leo's bed? I can share with her and you two can have mine, I mean all the sheets are clean and…” 

        Y/n was sure her mind short circted for a moment, but once she processed the sentence she was fast to raise her hands to response. “April leo is still really hurt, we can’t be crowded in a bed like that.” 

        “Then maybe you could take the couch again, and he can have my bed.” April suggested, and once again Y/n hesitated.

        “I mean, maybe but…” 

        “Thanks Y/n you're the best!” The other woman suddenly beamed, grabbing Y/n into a hug that effectively stopped all her signing. Then, before Y/n could regain her bearings, April moved to her mother’s side and began leading her to the stairs.  “Come on mom, let's get ready for bed. Some sleep will make you feel better.” 

        “No.” Mrs. O’neil suddenly said. “I think I just need some air.”

        The woman then gently repped away from her daughter and walked back out the door leaving the younger two alone in the house. Glancing behind her y/n took note of the still full glass of water sitting on the coffee table, quickly forgotten without so much of a sip taken out of it. She also thought of Mrs.O’neil’s tone. It was eerily calm. Especially for someone who ran into the house screaming not five minutes ago. She didn't even seem winded. 

        It was strange. Too strange for Y/n to stay quiet. Turning to April, she prepared to voice her concern, but her hands fell limply when she saw her friend’s expression. She seemed so worried, like she was only a moment away from chasing after the woman. Sighing Y/n let her guard down just enough for the pain in her guts to move to her chest. 

        Before her eyes flashed memories of her with her own mother. How it felt to be held by her, to hear her voice. Their interactions during meditation couldn’t hold a candle to how they were when she was still alive. Y/n knew she would give anything to just have a single day with her mother again. No doubt, April was filling similarly. So when her hands rose again, she forced a soft smile.

        “Go talk to her, I'll get the rooms sorted out.” 

        April watched her hands silently before smiling. “Thank you, Y/n.” She then hurried out the door after her mother leaving Y/n to catch her breath then climb the stairs towards the bedrooms. 

        Y/n took her time gathering her pajamas, throw blanket, and charger from the master suite. So she could bring them back down stairs. She also made sure to gather up any spare knives that Y/n and leo left on the dresser top, opting to move them to April’s room so they wouldn’t be noticed by Mrs. O’neil. Right or wrong about the woman, Y/n figured leaving weaponry out for a stranger to mess with wasn’t a good plan.   

        While in April’s room she made the bed to Leo’s liking and pulled the side table a bit closer so he could lean his crutch against it during the night. Content with her work, she then wandered back down stairs, reading to make the couch into a bed. Her plans are delayed however, when she saw Raph and Leo back in their positions from before watching a music countdown of sorts. 

        Sighing through her nose, she wandered towards the armchair and set down her belongings before flopping down between the brothers once again. It was silent for only a minute as Y/n wiggled around to get comfortable. Eventually settling with ehr feet in Raph’s lap while she cuddled up against Leo’s side. 

        “I’m not going to rub your feet if that’s what you're expecting, Mockingbird.” Raph grumbled as he glanced over at just long enough to watch her flip him off in response. “Wow, who spit in your cereal?” 

        “April, but I think it was unintentional.” Y/n signed with a huff.

        "What?” Leo asked, “Did something happen? What's with the blanket and PJs?”

        Y/n groaned at the question before lifting her hands above her head for all to see. “April kinda just decided that she and her mom should share the master, kicking me and Leo out. Leo is still recovering so he’ll get April's bed, and I'm back on the couch.” 

        Raph quickly translated and Y/n spoke, but it was Leo who chose to huff. “We can share the bed, you don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

        “Too small.” 

        “No, we’ll fit if we try.” The turtle in blue replied. “Now I know you just got comfy, but run up and take your stuff to the room so tonight we don’t have to set up everything at the last minute.”

        Y/n growled out her protest but stood nonetheless, being sure to face away from the turtles the whole time so they couldn’t see her smile. After all, Raph didn't translate her final statement for Leo. He really was learning. She almost giggled at the thought, and likely would have if she didn't jump out of her skin when she felt a sudden impact on her ass. 

        It came the moment she turned to pass the arm of the couch. Her head jerked towards the couch, eyes wide in surprise. The boys seemed mostly unaffected by what just transpired, but y/n knew she didn’t imagine it. After all, Raph was rolling his eyes and Leo had a shit eating grin. 

        “Don’t whine, Finch, it doesn’t suit you.” Leo said with a smile, eyes never leaving the television. 

        Y/n scoffed in belief, but her smile remained as she hurried up the stairs, for once choosing to be obedient without a fight. After all, she was too happy to try and be sassy. She was slowly, but surely getting her Francour back. How could she not be happy? Entering April’s room she quickly set up her changer before flopping back onto the bed, squeaking out a few giggles. 

        She felt like a schoolgirl, falling in love all over again. All because of a few understood statements and a slap on the ass. She felt ridiculous, yet giddy. It’s been too long since they interacted this way. Too long before they felt like this. She missed it. Smiling she revealed it for a bit longer, before a simple thought creeped into ehr mind. Leo still couldn’t look at her. Worse yet, she still didn't know why. 

        It was irritating her, but Y/n chose to shake it away in favor of enjoying their peace and te fat that when she wandered back down the stairs she could reclaim ehr spo at his side on the couch, and simply enjoy the rest of the night. Yeah, that sounded nice. Nodding to herself, Y/n got to her feet and quickly made her way to the stairs, only to be irritatedly stopped at the top by April.

        “Oh hey, have you seen my mom?” She asked and Y/n quickly shook her head. “Dang. She wandered off after we got into a bit of an argument. I just wanna apologize then try to get some sleep.”

        “What did you fight about?” Y/n asked but April just rolled her eyes.

        “Nothing important.”     

        “Are you sure?” Y/n tried to pry, genuinely curious as to what could cause Aprils’ mom to just wander off. “You know you can talk to me about whatever you need.”

        To her surprise April replied with a huff. “What do you know, you don’t even have a mom.” she hissed before turning on her heel and marching down the stairs. “You don’t trust her, just like mikey. I’m going to look for her.”

        Stunned, Y/n stood at the stop of the stairs, watching as April stormed out of the house in a huff. Sure she was pushing a bit, but she wasn’t sure if she deserved that much of a personal attack. Even so, she tried to push past it and return to the living room. To her surprise, when she arrives Raph is sitting alone on the couch. 

        Clapping her hands for his attention she signed. “Where is Leo?”

        “Hunting for April's mom, but considering what I just overheard, i’mma guess you have no interest in helping.”

        “None.” Y/n replied as she leaned on the back of the couch. “April was right, i don’t trust her mom, but i don’t think she needed to call out mine for being dead.”

        “Yeah that was a bit harsh, but she’s on an emotional rollercoaster at the moment.” the turtle in red replied but Y/n just shrugged.

        She admittedly didn’t want to think about it one way or the other. April’s words hurt her regardless, but at the same time Y//n wasn't going to act on that hurt so, why bother to dwell. Instead she looked at the television and wondered if this time she would finally get to sit down long enough to actually enjoy the programing. That being said, the universe seemed to enjoy uprooting her plans, and this time did so with a well timed crash.

        At the noise she and Raph exchanged a glance, but neither moved until a scream could be heard coming from the basement. Leo’s scream. In a flash the two were on their feet and hurrying down the basement stairs. At the bottom trying to get his fooding wa Leonardo, looking a bit worse for the wear. Instantly both Raph and Y/n were at his sides, trying to help get their leader to his feet.

        “Bro, You ok?” Raph asked as they led Leo over to the sole wooden chair in the basement.

        “I think so,” Leo groaned.

        Kneeling in front of him Y/n placed a hand on Leo's knee and started checking him for injury, as Raph questioned him. “What happened?”

        “Mikey was right,” Leo winced. “April’s mom really is a creature.”

        “What!” Raph shouted, as he grabbed his sais and instantly arched the kranng ship ready to attack. “Where is it?” 

        It was then that Leo looked up at Y/n, surprising her when she saw that his second eyelids were closed. Despite how hurt he seemed before, he was smirking down at her, almost evil, and that's when it clicked. If she is a creature that was able to look like April’s mom, who's to say it couldn’t look like something or someone else. Slowly, she moved back, but it wasn’t subtle enough for Leo to quickly stand and snatch Y/n’s wrist all in single motion.

        “Here.” he hissed in response to Raph’s question. 

        Much to Y/n’s horror, as he rose, large kranng like tendrils emerged from his shell, wrapping around his arms, and effectively trapping them together. In a panic she looked to Raph, already charging for attack, but this thing in the shape of leo was faster. Shooting out one of the tendralls he grabbed Raph by the ankle and threw him across the basement. The turtle landed hard on the kranng ship, and before he could move The tendrall had him again.

        Using Raph as a distraction, Y/n managed to grab her Tanto with her free hand to cut herself free. She scrambled to her feet and quickly repeated the action while the creature was stunned on the tentacle that dangled Raph above them. The creature hissed and stumbled away a few steps before raising his head with a hiss.

        Suddenly Rapheal grabbed her waist and pulled Y/n against his shell. Reaching to the satchel which was situated on his belt he pulled out a smoke bomb and lifted it to the air. With a final taunt the turtle in red threw the smoke bomb down providing enough cover for him and Y/n to rush up the stairs and immediately out the door, now determined to get as far away from the farm house as possible.

        “April! Casey!” Raph shouted when he spotted them on the swing in the yard. 

        When their friends saw their panic, they quickly stood. “Guys, what is it?” April asked.

        Catching his breath, the turtle replied. “It’s your mother! Mikey was right. SHe did something to the others.” 

        “No, no you're wrong.” 

        Even Casey scoffed. “Come on Raph, not you too.”

        “She’s not what you think she is,” Raph tried. “If you don’t believe me Y/n saw it too.”

        At the mentions the girl desperately nodded and April just rolled her eyes. “Y/n didn't’ even trust her in the first–”

        “April!” Mrs. O’neil’s voice cut her off. The sound making Raph and Y/n both go rigid before they turn. “April I told you to pack your bags.” The woman then started to approach making Y/n and Ralph become defensive. 

        “Stay back!” Raphael yelled as he drew his weapon, Y/n quickly following his example with her tanto. “What did you do to my brothers?”

        “April, now.” 

        “I said stay back, mom-thing!”

        Groaning, April pushed past Raph and Y/n to stand with her mother. “Stop it both of you!” 

        They wanted to counter, but before they could, April's mother roughly grabbed her arm, causing the girl to wince. “That’s it. We’re leaving now!”

        “What’s going on?” April asked as her mother started to drag her away.

        “I’m your mother!” the woman demanded before turning her head revealing that she was in fact a creature, rather than a human. 

        Rightfully April screamed, which instantly sent the others into fight mode. Raphael arrived first and managed to land an attack. Cutting off the tentacle that had cooled around april, freeing her from the most grasp. Like before, the creature seems to spasm with the injury, but this time it was more grotesque. Her body began convulsing as skin stretched while her bones and joins popped and twisted in inhuman ways. It was a scene from a nightmare as in stunned silence the group watched on while Mrs. O’neil morphed into a hideous beast.

        “I think I'm gonna puke,” Casey gagged.

       "We gotta move!” Raph shouted and everyone sprinted towards the barn for some kind of shelter, Casey pausing for only a second to grab an ax for protection.

        Once in the barn, everyone prepared themselves. Raph and Casey took the front while the girls were a meer foot behind, weapons at the ready. From behind the door the creature screams, ramming its body into the walls so hard that the entire structure trembles. When the ramming stopped there were a few scratches at the door followed by dead silence. The hair on the back of Y/n’s neck stood on end as she tried to listen for anything, even the sounds of the creature retreating, but was met with nothing more than the falling of dust as the building settled. She wanted to believe that this meant they were safe but she knew better. Nothing was that easy.

        Not a moment after ehr thought the ceiling suddenly caved in, landing behind the group with a loud thud, followed by the ear piercing scream of the monster. The group scattered drying to escape the dust cloud and get eyes back on the creature. When they did, they watched in horror as its face split in two, before one of its tentacles shot out and wrapped around April’s middle. The creature pinned her to a wall, until Raph rushed by, cutting the limb away.

        Casey took this as his chance for attack, only to get thrown in the hay loft. Not far behind him was Y/n ruhsing under the monster trying to go for its legs. To escape her, the creature climbed up the wall like a spider, maneuvering away Rapheal’s incoming attack while leaving enough opening for it to shoot goo down onto them. They worked to narrowly avoid her attacks while Casey jumped from above, giving Raph and Y/n a second to hurry to April's side and regroup.

        “There's no way to stop this thing!” Raph exclaimed as the monster jumped from the ceiling, landing back down in front of them.

        “She was frozen when we found her,” April suggested, finally wiggling out of the tentacle. “Maybe we can freeze it again?”  

        “No!” Casey’s voice echoed from elsewhere in the barn, “We fry it!” 

        Landing near them from above, Casey readied his ex before going for the attack. Sliding under the beast he hurried towards the fuse box, and there the door opened. Then they taunted the creature to attack. It shot an arm in his direction prepared to grab, but in the last moment, Casey dodged, leaving the monster to grab hold of the fuse and successfully fill herself with electric charge. 

        As it quivered Casey returned to the others, and for a brief moment, they thought it worked. Until the monster turned towards them with a scream again, that is. Casey voiced his defeat while everyone else tried to come up with a new plan. 

        “We just gotta hack it to pieces.” Casey announced as he and Raph jumped to take the offensive. 

        Meanwhile, Y/n worked to keep April back. They might not know much about this beast, but it’s evident that it’s targeting april. Keeping her eyes on the monster, she held the red-head away, even as they watched in horror as their friends got captured and pulled into the body of the beast. 

        “Raph! Casey! No!” April screamed. “This is not happening!”

        Worried, Y/n turned to her friend, but her attention was split when the monster suddenly spoke. “April.” It hissed. “We can be together. No more pain. No more sorrow.”

        As it spoke, the girls continued to move back, gasping as they watched the heads of their friends break through the belly of the beast in an almost possessed manner.  As a group they taunted her to join them while April screamed in protest. Y/n watched as her friend began to caving in on herself and quickly moved to grab her. Shaking April from her panic, she prompted her to run, but they couldn't get far. Before they made it to the door the beast reached out, grabbing April and drawing her in. 

        Y/n panicked as she watched her friend struggle and ran up to save her. As she jumped to make an attack however, an unknown force threw her against the barn wall. A blinding light filled the room as her head made contact with a wooden beam and Y/n quickly fell to the ground. Through the ringing in her ears, Y/n could hear a few more slams, as well as the barn rattling around her. She then felt a splattering of warm liquid hitting her face and arms.

        As her vision clearend Y/n groaned, and found that her sound was echoed by others nearby. Looking towards the center of the barn she saw everyone. The turtles, Casey, and April, sprawled across the ground, all covered in green goods. Looking down at herself she saw that a similar substance dotted her skin, though she seemed mostly out of the splash zone. 

        “Are you guys ok?” April asked as everyone slowly rose to their feet.

        Donnie, who was clearly off balance, smiled in her direction. “Let's put it this way. I’m pretty sure I swallowed 15 pounds of slime.”

        From the ground nearby Mikey groaned. “I feel like if puke could puke.” 

        Y/n laughed a bit at the comparison as she wobbled towards the group. It seemed like everyone was at least 80% which was good. Her smile remained as she let the calm finally wash over her. The feeling of a successful mission almost, knowing that everyone got home safe and sound. It was about then that she felt liquid rolling down her neck. Curious she reached for it, only for her smile to drop with a groan.

        “Finch? What's wrong?” Leo asked as he heard her in response she simply raised her hand, showing the blood that was gathered on her fingers from the back of her head. “Oh shit, where is that from?”

        “My head, but I'm ok. Probably just broke some skin when I got thrown against the wall.” Y/n sign then watched as Leo studied her hands before looking at donnie.

        “She thinks it’s ok, but I'll still check her out once I regain my bearings.” The turtle in purple promised. “For now, let's head down to the Kranng ship to figure out what that was.”

        A glance to Leo was all it took for the group to know the next course of ations. Head towards hte basement. So, leaving the goop covered barn behind the team walked back to the main house and down the stairs and finally into the kranng ship. Once there they split off. Donnie went to the main concol with Raph, while Mikey and Leo forced Y/n to stnad in a well lit area for them to check the back of her head. Meanwhile, April curled up ont he floor, with Casey near by. REgardless of their location, however, everyone was listening in to Donatello.

        “So when i downloaded the data from the Kranng ship i learned that the creature wasn’t really april’s mom, it just had her memories.”

        “So what was it?” Raph asked.

        “Some sort of early infiltration experiment that utilized a combination of Mrs. O’neil’s DNA and Kranng DNA, but it was too dangerous.” Donnie ezxsplained wiht a shurg.

        “So the Kranng put it into a deep freeze.” The turtle in red nodded.“It all makes sense.” 

        “Guys!” Leo suddenly cut in, having determined that Y/n injury was simply a blood heavy cut on the back of her head had finally caught sight of april, who was trying to make herself as small as possible against the wall. “do we have to talk about this now?”

        As if to emphasis his point, leo jerked his head towards April and everyone understood. Taking the initiative, both Casey and Y/n moved to the girl’s side, Casey going as far as to sit down beside April as Y/n leaned on the wall to her left.

        “April, you ok?” Casey asked.

        “Yeah it just feels like i lost my family all over agian, even if it really wasn’t my mom.” Apriled explained. “Maybe she really is gone forever, but maybe. Maybe she’s still out there. Somewhere.”

        “You can’t give up hope, trust me on that.” Leo said with a smile as he offer ed April his hand and pulled her to her feet.

        “And you haven't lost your family,” Mikey added. “We are your family.”

        There was a single beat where everyone stood together. Absorbing Mikey’s words with pride was they reconized their ragtag team as a family, stronger than blood could ever be. But of course, his youngest brother energy all but forced mikey to break the silence. 

        “AND to my bros i just need to say…” he started before jumping around hte room pointing accussingly at the others. “I was right! I was right! I was right! ”

        With a roll of her eyes Y/n chose to block out the boys and instead placed a hand on Aprils shoulder. Once she had theother womans’s attention she pulled her into a hug. They remained in hte embrace for a few seconds, and when they finally pulled away, Y/n lifted her hand into view.

        “ If you even need to talk, I'm here for you. Trust me, I understand how it feels to lose your parents twice.” Y/n signed and attempted a soft smile.

        April returned the expression before looking away as she replied. “Not to be rude Y/n, but there is literally no way you could understand how i’m feeling right now.  I mean, I understand that you're an orphan, but you’ve never had to hope of getting someone back only to have it torn away from you.” 

        “Well actually….” Y/n tired but April squftly caught her hands.

        “Well nothing. I appreciate the thought, but don’t pretend you understand.” April sighed before looking at the rest of hte group. “I’m gonna head upstairs, i think i need some air.”

        Stepping up, Casey spoke. “I’ll come with you red.”

        Everyone else chose to watch them go, and waited a few minutes beofrre taking their leave form the ship as well. It was evident that April needed some time, and casey was the closest to her. So leaving them to it was likey the best answer. With that in mind the remaining five climbed hte stairs and started towards the livingroom to take a few minutes to finally wind donw before collapsing into bed for the night. 

        One by one they found seats, until only Y/n stayed standing and uncomfortable feeling nagging at her just hard enough to keep her standing. With a wrinkle of her nose Y/n started to pull at the strands of hair on the back of her head. She could still feel the dull pulsing of her injury, but pain was such a familiar sensation now that something mild was easy to ignore. What was bothering her however was the feeling of dirty hair dotted with blood matting to her head. Audibly she gagged while pulling a few pieces back before frantally she wiped her hands on her jeans. 

        The sound was enough to catch the attention of the others who glanced over, but it was Donnie who spoke. “I take it you wanna go freshen up?”

        Y/n was quick to agree with a nod making the turtle in purple sighed and glanced out towards the patio where they knew April was sitting. They had just recently moved past April sitting in the bathroom while Y/n showered in case something happened, but now that her head was injured, Donnie was hesitant to send her alone in fear that she might worsen her injury while washing her hair. Following her friend’s gaze Y/n caught his drift and sighed as well. She really didn’t want to bother April but she too was worried about how she was going to wash her hair gently enough without being able to see the problem area. 

        Sensing the unease, Leonardo looked up from his place and followed the other’s gaze. He had heard the conversation and knew Y/n wanted to get clean, and now understood why she hadn't made a move. For a fleeting moment he wondered why Donnie didn't just go up with her to help out, but the thought made his stomach twist uncomfortably. Sure, Donnie was the medic, but helping in the shower seemed a bit far. Not to mention this was Y/n, his Y/n, his finch. No. Donnie would not be going anywhere near her shower. It was April or no one. April or…

        His thoughts were cut off by his own lips moving. “I’ll help her.” 

        “Are you sure?”

        “Yeah.” He replied with more confidence than even he expected. “It’s nothing I haven't seen before, right finch?” 

        With a smile Y/n nodded at him before offering a hand. Leo landed at it for a moment, before accepting and allowing the girl to drag him up that stairs towards the bathroom. There was only a slight hesitation on Leo's part when they arrived, where he lingered outside the door, almost as if he was wondering if he could enter with her, but Y/n abolished those fears with a tug on his wrist. After all, she had nothing to hide. He was her partner, and he had seen her naked before, nothing new.

        To her surprise, the simple tug was all it took for Leo to throw himself into helping her. In an instant he was wiggling behind Y/n to prep the water as she fought with the button on her jeans. By the time she stepped out of them, Leo was at the red, grabbing the hem of her shirt as soon as Y/n was standing straight, and gingerly lifted it over her head, being mindful of the injury on the back of her head. What came as more of a shock however, was when her shirt hit the floor and at lighting speed, Leonardo wrapped his arms around her middle. Not a second later, she felt the sensation of soft kisses being pressed along the back of her neck.

        She moaned slightly as the feeling before squeaking out his name. Much to her dismay, that made him stop. With a heavy sigh the turtle in blue placed his forehead against Y/n’s shoulder while giving her a squeeze.

        “I know,” he grumbled while his head rolled out the side, allowing Y/n to see his smirk in the mirror’s reflection. “Doctor donnie said no extracurricular activities.”

        Y/n smiled back at him. She hadn’t said his name in warning or to stop him, but that silly smirk and his chuckle made the misunderstanding worth it. Getting to see Leo so happy, and relaxed. The glimpse of his eyes that she caught before the steam consumed the mirror reflecting the same affection that she used to see every time they kissed. It made her melt against his shell with a happy sigh. Not even the soft slap on her thigh got her to move.

        “Come on finch, get the rest off, we gotta get you cleaned up.” Leo smiled, “Then we can cuddle up in our bed, since I'm assuming we get that back now.” He then turned on his heel and reached into the shower to check the water temperature before throwing a closed eye smile over his shoulder. “Our own room, Pajamas are optional.”

        She couldn’t stop her squeaks of laughter this time as she unhooked her bra and dropped it to the floor along with her panties. Y/n then wandered to the shower, totally not purposely rubbing up against leo as she stepped into the tub. From behind her she could hear Leo’s complaint in the form of a subtle groan before he too entered the shower. It didn’t take long for him to snatch her from behind and place a heavy kiss on her shoulder. 

        He gave himself another moment to just hold her close, enjoying the softness of her skin against his as the water pelted them. It was nice to relax. It made him calm, and in a strange way made him feel stronger. Here, alone with this finch, just getting to hold her intimately without fear of interruption, he couldn’t even feel the dull ache in his leg. It was like she was a miracle worker. An angel sent into his life for his very purpose. If only it didn’t come with such a heavy burden on her. Sighing, Leo tapped her hip, and stepped back. They had a job to do. Clean ehr hair, clean her wound. Another one she could have avoided if Y/n had never gotten tangled up in their lives.

        “Okay, now let me know if anything hurts, just tell me or…” Leo’s words faded off as he reminded himself that Y/n still couldn't tell him much of anything. “Hit the shower wall, i’ll back up immediately ok.”

        Y/n responded with a simple nod before tiling her head back for him to have proper access. Leo’s touch was feather light against her scalp and made her want to melt under the warm stream of water. The massaging of his fingers against her head, the light pull on her hair, his quiet hums and he diligently cleaned every speck of dirt and blood away. If she hadn’t been standing Y/n was certain the sensations would have been enough to lull her to sleep. She closed her eyes tighter, allowing herself to soak every bit of affection that this moment was providing as she unconsciously swayed to the music she put on. 

        “Okay, time to rinse.” Leo whispered to her as he pressed on Y/n’s shoulders just enough for her to step further under the spray so he could massage all of the suds away. “There, all clean.”

        Y/n turned to him with a smile, and just as she expected, his eyes instantly darted to the shower floor. This caused her lips to pull to the side with frustration before an idea popped into her head. As subtle as she could. Y/n positioned herself under the spray just enough to collect some water into her mouth. Closing her mouth with a smirk she stepped back towards Leo and tapped his shoulder. She knew she only had a second as he instinctively looked up before his head went down, so she would have to take her opening. As soon as she saw a glimpse of the ocean blue eyes she loved so much, the girl spit out the water nailing Leo in the forehead. 

        The turtle shouted at the attack and as soon as he recovered, he grabbed Y/n but the cheeks forcing her to look up at him as he glared. Of course, Y/n just used this as her chance to expel the rest of the water from her mouth, hitting him once again before she began to laugh. 

        “You little sneak,” Leo scolded, though it was clear he was trying not to laugh as well as he started to press on her cheeks. “Is there anything else left in there?”

        “No,” Y/n squeaked, while reaching out to hold onto Leo's plastron.

        “Good,” the turtle replied before pulling Y/n forcefully towards him until their lips met. "You're so beautiful.” 

        Her cheeks flush as his word and in an instant her lips are back on his. Their kiss is intense, loving, and oh so needed. Together they get lost in the sensation in the warmth, only breaking apart when Y/n head bumps the tile wall of the shower causing her to wince. Leo quickly checked her head, but as soon as he saw that she was alright he looked towards the shower curtain avoiding looking at it completely. The action made her sigh. 

        She wanted answers, and wanted them now. So, praying that her suspicion is correct, Y/n forced Leo to look at her hands as she signed. “Why can’t you look at me?”

        “I… I’m sorry, can you ask again slower.”  Leo asked as his brow pinched together, eyes studying her hands intensely. With a small grin she signed her question again, this time much slower, and watched as Leo’s lips moved in silence as he translated the words. Once he understood, his face fell and he looked away once again.“I’m sorry finch, it’s just. It’s hard seeing you so hurt.”

        “Not hurt.” She tried to argue, but her squeaks failed to support her claims. 

        “Scarred then.” He corrected before pressing his forehead against Y/n’s and squeezing his eyes shut. “You're covered in them and it’s all my fault. When we first left your apartment you only had the one on your hand from where that dog bit you when you were little, but now, because I forced you into this life, you're hurt more often than not and the reminders of that pain are covering you.

        “I thought that last fight was it. I saw Shredder hurt you, I saw him cut your throat, and your body go limp. After that it was just white rage until I was taken out too. The last coherent thought I had was that I had let you die. Then when I finally came to, you're there easing me awake and I saw your throat, that huge scar, and i thought if you were here i must have died too. Then the others were there and I realized that couldn’t be it. But it made no sense, you died. I saw you die but you weren’t dead. I could see you, everyone could, but my mind was still telling me that you shouldn’t be there.

        “It was too hard to look at you for long because all I could see was you hanging there limp. I was angry that you couldn’t speak as well. TSL just made it worse, because everyone else could speak to you, but I couldn't and I really did feel like there was no point in learning it since I couldn't even look at you without feeling sick, so how would I be able to look long enough to read your signs?”

        At this point Leo cut himself off with a sad chuckle as he pulled Y/n into a tight hug, holding her securely against his body as if he was afraid she would disappear again. “It only took three days for me to miss you too much to handle it any more. I forced Donnie to start teaching me TSL so that as soon as I could look at you again I would be able to talk to you, and I made myself look at you. Looking into your eyes is easier, but the second I see that scar on your neck I'm reminded that I almost lost you, and it was all my fault. I never want to lose you again.”   

        Y/n let his words settle in for a few moments before she stepped back, reaching down and grabbing his hand and placing it flat against her chest, directly over her heart. Their eyes locked and Leo pressed harder against her.

        “Alive.” she said simply, and the turtle nodded.

        “Yeah, you're alive.” Leo said with a sad smile, the for the first time in weeks he allowed his eyes to scan her body, head to toe. 

        His eyes even lingerie down her throat for a few moments as his free hand rose. His finger tips carefully grazed the scar, going as far as to push Y/n’s wet strands of hair out of the way so he could see it better. His breaths were shaky as he looked at it. The turtle took a breath as he studied it. The scar wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it didn’t make the girl in front of him any less beautiful to him. No, she still made his heart flutter when she smiled, he still felt desperate to be beside her, he still found himself daydreaming about potential futures together. She was still Y/n, his Finch. A new, loving smile found its way onto his lips as he leaned forward to press a kiss on the raised skin, before moving to kiss her lips once again.    

        When he pulled away he sighed happily. “Thank god you're still alive.”