Rose's POV

"You ready Rose?" asked Leo. His commanding voice identifying him immediately. From the way his voice sounded, I could tell that he, and probably every one else, was in a fighting stance. Leo's voice came from the upper right hand corner, which means that Donnie is on the bottom right hand corner, Mikey is on the upper left hand corner, Raph in on the bottom left hand corner, and Lea* is on the roof over me. I have been under Master Splinter's teachings for a year and a half now, and my four senses have really perked up.

But why would I need this?

Aside from it being one of my super ninja skills, its also a survival skill.

I'm blind.

"Ready when you are." I said. I got into my ready stance.

"Hatchime**!"

I don't really know how to explain it, but I could feel them coming. Being blind, I had to better all of my other senses. I could hear the light footsteps of the four turtles coming. Then I heard the shuffle of feet from the upper right and I knew Leo was jumping. He was either going to do a side kick to the chest or round house kick to the head. I decided to avoid them both by quickly hitting the deck. I expected for him to quickly adjust and do another attack, but nothing happened. Instead, I felt breeze on the top of my head. I then heard a thud behind me. I couldn't help but smirk. "One down, four to go."

I got up just in time to get punched in the face by Donnie. He went in for another, but this time I blocked it and through him into Raph. There was only Mikey. I heard a chain of metal and knew he reached for his nunchucks. He came towards me. The good thing about his weapon was that they were noisy. I dodge them with ease. "This is to easy,",I thought. There was something, someone missing.

"Lea!", my mind screamed. Just then, Lea crashed down on top of me.

"Yame***!"

Its over. I lost, but it's okay. I don't care that I didn't win. I just care that I didn't get as pummeled as last time. Lea stood up and helped me up. Even though I can't see her, I know she is smiling. She's been helping me with my fighting skills for 1 year now. After some pretty intense practices (and some broken bones), I have been able to defend myself better. As a result, I have also become more observant of my surroundings. Like I knew that Donnie was helping Leo up, Raph is walking towards Lea and heading to the door, or that both Master Splinter and Mikey are coming over here.

"Rose, you have progressed so much, I am very proud of you."

I scratched my head. "Thanks, sansei."

"You all have free time. Demised."

I started to walk over to the weapon room. I was currently trying to master the whip. This is hard because I can't see were I'm hitting, so I have to set it up in a very special way. Every thing has to be in its place. Thats one thing the turtles have learned from living with a blind person; being organized. When I first moved in six months ago, the lair was a mess. I know because I could never find anything. That, and I spent half of the day on the floor. But I was determined to make it work. The turtles were my only family. My parents thought I was a freak because I couldn't see, and they didn't even try to help me! So they din't even bother to tell me they were moving to a different house, and didn't care that I will never find them. But non of that matters now. What dose is that I have friends now. They take care of me, don't think I'm worthless, don't see me as a burden (at least I don't think so).

As I walked towards the entrance to the dojo, I overheard Raph's conversation with Lea.

"So, since we have free time…."

"Yes?" Said Lea in her mocking tone. She was making him beg. Classic.

"Would you, maybe, want to, I don't know…. go eat some pizza on the roof top?" Raph was nervous. You could tell from the tone of his voice. That, and the slit taping of his foot on the floor. Even after dating Lea for three months, he still got the shivers when asking her to hang out with him.

Silence. Then I heard moaning. And a second later, the parting of lips. "So I'll take that as a 'yes'?" Raph said somewhat out of breath.

"Yea." Lea also sounded slightly out of breath too. "But you're buying." And they were out the door.

I always thought they were a cute couple. Lea had just moved in three months ago, when her Dad got arrested for trafficking cocaine. At first, Raph had some… territorial problems. Even thought he wanted her to move into his room, he didn't want to share his space. There were a lot or nights when Lea would sleep in my room. And when she didn't , no one could sleep. It was either that Raph and Lea were having another fight, in which they cranked up the Rock and Roll music as loud as it would go so we didn't hear what they were talking about (we still did, though). Or that Lea was playing on the piano. That wasn't bad, but her songs always meant a reconciliation, which meant Raph and Lea having a really intense mack-out session (which usually involved thing being thrown and broken and very loud moaning). I know this because she told me. Neither of them felt ready to have sex (that in itself was an argument). Now they seemed to have found a compromise. Lea and Raph sleep together in his bed, and they share half a room. They still fight, but its less frequent.

"Guess who?" I felt a couple of strong arms wrap around me interrupted my train of thought. I blushed. Its Mickey, my boyfriend. We have been dating for a month now. Its been nice. We have gone on dates, kissed, fallen asleep during movies. There is one draw back; no one knows about us.

I thought it would be better this way. Before we had started decided this, I was all in for telling everyone that we were dating. But then I overheard Leo and Donnie talking. I didn't hear much of their conversation, but I did hear Leo saying that humans will never be with 'monsters' like them. Donnie argued that April was their friend.

"But think about it," said Leo. "even if by some miracle humans accept us, we would be happy with them. We're to different from them."

I was shocked. I didn't think that Leo would think like this. But I knew that if he were to find out about me and Mickey, he would never let it go. So when Mickey wanted to tell his family, I said no.

"But why? I thought you were cool with it.", he said.

"I just….I just don't like other people….I don't want them to interfere," I said. It was late at light and we were watching "Short Circuit****".

"They wouldn't. They would be totally happy for us.", he sounded upset.

"Just trust me, okay? For now, I think we should keep this our little secret."

After some kisses, he agreed.

It hasn't been easy. We've had to hide from everyone. Even Lea and April. I feel really bad for not telling them. But I'm sure one of them would tell one of the three turtles, which includes Leo. I couldn't, I wouldn't, take any chances.

"So, what do you say we get out of here? Go look at the stars? Or if you want we could stay in and watch a movie." He was planting small butterfly kisses on my neck.

"Mickey," I whispered, "not here. Your brothers might see."

"I don't care…" he was pushing me back to…. I don't know. This always happens when we're like this. I lose myself completely. But I have to concentrate this time. 'Cuz if one of his brothers find us, it'll be the end.

"But I do," I finally find the strength to say.

"Why?" he turns me around and starts kissing my jawline. My back hits the back of the couch. That means we are right in front of…. Leo's room.

If I don't stop this now, we'll never stop. And if Leo finds us, Mickey will turn against his brother. And I will not be responsible for that. I put my hands on his plastron to make him stop. He pulls away.

"Rose?"

"I just… I don't want…. look, just tru-"

"No." his tone surprised me. It was a convention of frustration and anger.

"You have to tell me what's going on,right now."

"You wont like it. It might change everything-"

"I don't care!" he pulled back completely. I felt the warmth of his body leave me.

"I can't, do this anymore."

I opened my mouth, and then closed it. I just couldn't do it.

He sighed, "Fine then."

And he was gone.

*read about Lea in 'the unexpected'

**'go"

***'end'