Disclaimer: We do not own any of the TMNT characters, but it'd be pretty awesome if we did.

Of Things to Come or Back to the Beginning

He had been watching her for months. It was nothing at first, simple observation, really. It was through those creatures he had found her. The creatures that were his original target, he wanted to make them pay for what they did to him. They were freaks of nature and dangers to society, but for some reason she allowed them to be near her. She would smile at them, laugh with them; treat them like they were human. She even allowed one of them to touch her! She didn't seem to understand how dangerous they were, they could kill her without a second thought. He needed to protect her.

It had been simple surveillance at first. He was going to target the freaks by using her. He had to study her habits, her comings and goings. He observed the other one as well, but as time went on he started focusing on the other one less and less. She became his soul focus. He didn't remember when it happened or how it happened; all he remembered was looking at his field notes one day, and finding them full of things about her. How she bit her lip if she was thinking, how she pulled at her hair when she was frustrated, or how she would chew on her pencil when she was studying. His girl was a smart one. She had finished college even after those creatures destroyed her life, and now she was applying to graduate school. He knew she'd get in, she was so smart, his girl. And she was so beautiful.

He knew firsthand how beautiful she was, oh she didn't know he was there watching her, she never knew. But one time as she slept he came into her room, he stood over her watching her sleep, dreaming about how she'd look under him, around him, looking up at him. It was almost too much for him to take. It was a good thing his girl was such a heavy sleeper, he wouldn't have wanted her waking up to that.

But there was something his girl didn't seem to understand. She belonged to him! She was his and his alone. She wasn't allowed to smile at other people, she wasn't allowed to laugh with other people, and she certainly wasn't allowed to be with that, that thing! But she constantly broke the rules. He hated it when she broke the rules it meant he would have to punish her. Sometimes he thought she did it on purpose, she was trying to make him mad. She was such a bad girl he would have to teach her how to behave. Oh and he would too, she would regret ever making him jealous. She would be screaming his name, begging him to stop. He licked his lips, imagining her taste.

Everything was almost set too. He was going to free her from the clutches of that freak of nature. Yes, he would take her far, far away and she would love him, and they would be together forever safe from those wretched turtles. After all, it was his duty to protect his girl from any possible danger. They belonged together.

Somewhere in Japan, a woman arrived home from work, eager to see her family. She walked up the stairs to her infant daughter's room, and opened the door. Her husband lay unconscious on the ground, and the pink curtains that covered the window blew in the wind. The crib was empty. She screamed.

Mikey looked down the hallway cautiously. He peered through an open doorway and laughed evilly. It was empty. He tiptoed in and leapt into a swivel chair, spinning in circles. He picked up Donny's laptop and, sneaking a peek at the door, opened it up and logged on. He went on the internet and opened up his blog about the Silver Sentry.

"You have mail." Mikey opened his email and grinned when he saw who it was from. Then he started laughing.

Dear Mikey,

What's happening hot stuff? Been battling any evil ninjas recently? Or what about inter-dimensional tournaments? How's everyone? I have a message for Leo, but it's not appropriate for your ears. You asked what Li and I were up to…well Mike Li and I are sex workers. That's right. It was so difficult for us to find jobs after everyone knew we were fugitives we had no choice but to work in the sex industry. Li strips and I run my own sex phone business. I'll have to send you a coupon sometime. You know Mikey you've got a sexy voice, do you want a job? Let me know the money's great. Gotta go I've got a calc test that's going to kick my ass.

Lots of Love and Style,

Piper

Piper laughed as she closed her laptop.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Li read over Piper's shoulder mildly concerned.

"Nah, Mikey knows I'm joking. There's no way he would take that seriously." Li shrugged. Piper was right; Mikey wouldn't take anything she told him seriously, Raph and Leo on the other hand…

"Hey Don, I need ya ta fix the toaster, Fearless broke it again." Mikey spun around in Donny's swivel chair and regarded his brother.

"But I'm busy with science." Raph glared at his brother, who had his hands steepled, trying to look evil. Raph hit him over the head.

"What are you doing here numbskull? Where's Don?"

"Doing science with April."

"Great, just when I need him ta fix da kitchen." Both brothers paused as they smelled something.

"Smoke?" Mikey panicked.

"My comic books! I'm coming babies!" He ran out of the room, screaming about his children. Raph shrugged, this is why Leo was only allowed in the kitchen with supervision. He sat down at Don's computer. Casey said he sent him some video. He clicked on the page Mikey had up and his eyes widened.

"Leo!"

"Hey, do you want to just have pizza tonight?" Li reclined on her chair in their living room. Pizza reminded her of the turtles, and it had been almost three months since she and Piper left New York.

"Okay." She took her notes for class from her bag and frowned. Where was her biology book? She heard Piper put a pizza in the oven and come into the living room.

"Piper do you know where-?" But just than her cell phone rang. She flipped her cell phone open and went back into the kitchen. Li sighed and got up, it was possible she just forgot it in her car. She grabbed her keys and opened the door. It was about nine at night, it was unlikely anyone would see her in her short black shorts and her white tank top. She walked outside into the clear crisp night and made her way toward her car, which was parked near the back of the lot. Just then, she heard something in the pine trees. She tensed, getting into the fighting stance Raph taught her. She scanned her surroundings, her back to her car. Nothing. It was probably a raccoon. She opened her car door and grabbed her textbook. Shutting her door, she started walking around the back of her car when something grabbed her from behind.

Piper paged through her calendar. "No, I should be free that weekend. Finals are next week, so I'm free after that. You'll pay for the plane ticket? Do you want me to bring anything?" Piper held her phone against her neck, opening a coke can, when her head hit her shoulder.

"Ow."

"What do you think you're doing? You have no honor, taking advantage of her like that! You should be ashamed." Piper stared wide eyed at Leo as he yelled into her phone. This was not how she expected to be reunited with her turtle.

"Da Vinci?"

"I better not catch you calling this number again!" Leo snapped her phone shut, and finally paid attention to Piper. He grabbed her and held her close, his chin resting on top of her head. "I don't blame you. I know everything has been rough for you. I'm sorry I left you alone. I shouldn't have let you leave."

"Da Vinci?" He lifted her chin and leaned down to kiss her. Piper shrugged and wrapped her arms around his neck. She missed him.

They broke away and Piper kissed him again before asking a serious question. "Why'd you say that to my mom?" Leo froze.

"That was your mother?"

"Yeah, she was calling to see if I wanted to come down and visit her and dad in Denver."

"That was your mother?"

"Yeah Da Vinci, it was." Leo looked as pale as a green skinned turtle could get.

"Oh shell." There goes the chance of the in-laws liking him. Piper laughed and kissed him on the cheek and pulled the pizza out of the oven. She looked over her shoulder to look at Leo, who still had not moved.

"So Da Vinci, what cha doing here?" Her question snapped him out of his stupor.

"You were in trouble." Piper tried to recall any time in the past few months she had been in trouble.

"No I'm not." Leo held her hand.

"I know you asked Mikey not to say anything, but Raph and I found your email and we came straight here." Piper remembered her last email with Mikey and started laughing.

"Piper?"

"You thought I was serious? Da Vinci that was a joke! Li and I aren't sex workers. Jeez, did Mikey think I was serious?" Leo looked slightly ashamed.

"Actually I never talked to him, Raph and I just kind of left." Piper acted shocked.

"You, the great law abiding Leonardo, broke a rule and left without consulting anyone?" Leo fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

"I thought you were in trouble." Piper was touched by his sentiment; she smiled and slowly kissed him, savoring the moment.

"Not when you're around." Piper and Leo broke apart to the sound of struggling outside the apartment.

"Dang it put me down!" Raph opened the sliding glass door leading to the apartment, Li slung over his shoulder yelling at him. Piper and Leo just stared. "I mean it Raph you better put me down!"

"Which one's her room?" Piper pointed.

"The one on the left." They watched as Raph carted Li away and set her down in her room, shutting the door on her.

"Yah can't come out till yah wearin' some real clothes!" Leo cautiously approached his brother.

"Raph?"

"Dere she is runnin' round dressed like dat. Someone's gonna get da wrong idea." Piper rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, you're the only one allowed to get that idea." Raph glared at Piper, but she ignored him and addressed the door.

"Hey Li guess what? The turtles are back!"

"Yeah I got that."

"Isn't it great?"

"Peachy."

"And guess what? They think we're sex workers."

"What?"

"Yeah, funny huh?" Raph looked confused.

"You're not?"

"No, apparently that was a joke Mikey didn't let us in on." Piper kept laughing as she unlocked Li's door. She stopped the moment Li leapt out of her room and tried attacking her. She quickly hid behind Leo.

"This is your fault!"

"I didn't think they would believe me!"

"They think I'm a stripper!"

"Well if you didn't dress like that they wouldn't." Raph held Li back as she attempted to kill her roommate. He carted her into the kitchen and set her down in a chair and placed a slice of pizza in front of her. Li calmed down once she started eating. Piper hovered outside the kitchen, once she was sure Li wasn't going to kill her she sat down and started talking to the turtles.

"So you guys came to get us?" Raph made a noncommittal grunt and bit into his pizza.

"You know we were going to surprise you guys and come to New York once finals were over."

"You were?"

"Yeah, but you two got the jump on us." She took a sip of Leo's tea. "Looks like you might have to stay with us for a bit." Leo took back his tea.

"We'll have to inform Master Splinter and tell him we'll be gone." Everyone else in the room rolled their eyes. Piper quickly decided to change the topic before Leo could start a speech about responsibility and honor.

"Apparently, everyone thought we were in jail here. We had to make up a crazy story so that our parents would buy it. Li's parents still don't." Li looked down, her mother refused to speak to her and she barely talked to her father. Raph squeezed her shoulder.

"It took a lot of petitions to get us back in school, buy they relented since this is our last semester." Both turtles looked at them in surprise.

"So you guys are graduating after finals? Why didn't you tell us?" The girls looked at each other and shrugged.

"It's no big deal, both of us are going to graduate school so it's not like we're done or anything."

"But isn't graduating a big deal?" They shrugged.

"Nah."

"We're not even planning on going to the ceremony."

"Piper, you have to go, it's a matter of honor!"

"How Leo? How is this a matter of honor?" Leo blinked.

"I-" Piper interrupted him.

"Exactly! We'll still get our degrees, but we were going to go straight to New York to see you guys!" Leo brightened.

"And now you don't have to, you can still go to the ceremony!" Piper hit her head.

"Not what I was getting at."

"I can record the ceremony so Master Splinter and Mikey and Donny can view it later."

"My parents aren't even coming and you're going to record my graduation for your dad?"

"Do you already have your cap and gown?" Piper tried ignoring Leo as he started making plans for her graduation. Raph looked at Li.

"Do yah wanna go?"

"Nah."

"Okay." He grabbed a beer from their refrigerator and they went into the living room and turned on the TV. Piper sighed as Leo went over plans for her graduation.

"Leo, Leo…Leo!" He blinked.

"Huh?" She stood up.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm tired." He stood.

"But it's only ten, oh." He said, realization hitting him.

"But Raph and Li-"

"Will probably be doing the same thing." Normally, he wouldn't have went along since his brother was just a thin wall away, but he hadn't seen Piper in months.

"Ladies first." She smirked at him and led him into her room.

Raph slung his arm around Li. "Looks like I'm roomin' wit yah tonight." Li was quiet for a moment trying to think of an appropriate response.

"Uh…I kick?" Raph smirked.

"Had a feeling you'd be dat type of girl." While Li tried to wrap her brain around that statement, Leo came back out of Piper's room.

"Raph! That's inappropriate, you sleep on the couch!" Raph mouthed wordlessly.

"How did ya hear dat? You're goin in Piper's room!" Leo shook his head.

"No, you sleep on the couch!" With that, he went into Piper's room, the door slamming. Raph stared and turned to Li, only to see her entering her bedroom.

"Night!" She shut the door, leaving him on the couch.

"Well damn." Meanwhile, Li had collapsed on her bed, her face red. She wasn't sure she was ready to go that far with Raph yet, she hadn't seen him in months, and he wanted to share her bed! She bit her lip, thinking about Piper and Leo, they seemed to be moving faster than her and Raph. That was fine and all, but Piper had a lot more relationship experience than she did, and she just wasn't ready for that yet.

Raph sat on the couch wondering what the shell just happened. Well he wasn't going to be the only turtle separated from his girl. He marched into Piper's room and yanked his brother off the bed. Piper stared slack jawed as Raph dragged Leo away. Oh no. He was so not getting away with that. She marched into the living room and grabbed Leo, glaring at Raph.

"Uh uh, Raph. No dice. I haven't seen Leo in months and phone conversations don't cut it." She tried moving Leo back into her room, but Raph stopped her.

"Nah yah heard fearless. It's not honorable." Piper glared.

"It's okay I don't mind." She yanked on Leo's arm, pulling him closer to her.

"I'm sure Leo does." He yanked Leo closer to him. Piper glowered at Raph. She stopped glaring when a thought struck her. There was only one way to get what she wanted. She grabbed Raph's wrist and opened Li's door, shoving him in. She dusted her hands.

"Well that takes care of that." She smiled at Leo and winked before walking into her room. "Coming hot stuff?" Leo grinned and followed Piper into her room.

Raph blinked after he was spun into Li's room. She had been taking out her contacts at her vanity in a short black night gown. She squinted into the mirror.

"Piper?" Raph cleared his throat. She must have really bad eyesight.

"Uhh, no it's me. Piper and I got in a fight an' she threw me in here." Li put down her contact case, unable to see anything except large blurs.

"Oh." She kept her tone casual.

"Yeah." She couldn't tell, but she thought Raph was fidgeting, at least the blur she assumed to be Raph was fidgeting. Was he as nervous as she was? She got up from her vanity and stumbled to her bed. She cursed under her breath when she stubbed her toe.

"Frick." Raph picked her up and deposited her on the bed. Raph reached over her and grabbed a pillow, and found a spot on the floor to sleep. Li watched the blurred Raph fluff the pillow. The blur then disappeared.

"Raph? Where'd you go?" She squinted and looked around. Raph sighed.

"I'm on da floor."

"Oh, you don't have to sleep down there." Li felt bad, her bed was a full size, maybe they could just sleep. She crawled to the side against the wall and got under the covers.

"I don't wanna make ya uncomfortable." She shifted.

"It's okay, come up here." He deposited the pillow back on the bed and crawled in next to her. They both got situated and stared at the ceiling. Raph gently touched her face.

"I missed yah." Li released the breath she was holding. She scooted closer to him and kissed him.

"I missed you too." She relaxed against his plastron as he wrapped an arm around her middle. She smiled into his chest. It was good to have him back.