Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles and I am making no money off this story.

Summery: It started off like any other night but when Raph stumbles upon a familiar figure half frozen in the New York snow he will have to make a decision. He knows what he should do, but is it really what he wants to do?

Authors note: The two main characters in this story will be Raph and Angel. The guys are around seventeen and Angle is around fifteen. Please review. I would really like to know what you guys think of this story. (-: I am always open to criticism as I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. Thanks! (-:

By: Teoryn

On a Dark Cold Night

Raphael moved about the dark streets of his city on his evening patrol. The night chill was starting to seep down into his bones and he knew that he would have to start back home soon. He paused and wrapped his arms about himself lightly beating them in an attempt to keep his blood circulating and to brush off the light dusting of snow. His brothers and him all walked a thin line of being both cold blooded and warm blooded if there ever was such a thing. Donnie had come up with some sort of explanation at one time but he couldn't remember all of it. He just knew the jest of what had been said. It was all due to their mutation. They were able to sweat which no other cold blooded creature could do but they were defiantly more susceptible to the cold than their warm blooded counter parts.

Winter, it was the only time of the year that the turtles wore clothes for any purpose other than to blend in with the human population. Yet the clothes only did so much before even they were of little help. At least this year they would have working heat in the lair courtesy of Donnie of course. Sometimes it really paid to have an in house genius.

The silence was suddenly broken by a sharp beep coming from Raphael's belt and he looked at the phone in annoyance. He knew who it was before he even grabbed the cursed contraption. The beep would not stop and he momentarily debated not answering, but then thought better of it. If he didn't answer then his brother would hunt him down and it would be a lecture for the next week about why it is important to answer ones phone. Listening to both his brother and father's lecturing was enough to convince him to answer. With a growl he pulled the cell from his belt.

"What do you want Leo." He snapped at his brother with no remorse. Leo, for his part, didn't seem to be phased at all by Raph's tone of voice.

"You didn't check in," was the short clipped response.

"Good heavens Leo! I am what," he checked the time on the front of the phone, "thirty seconds late! Have you really nothing better to do?"

"You know the rules."

"Right the rules." He let out an exasperated sigh. Sensei had set the time limits during the winter when the boys went out. Raph understood why but it didn't mean that he liked it. There really was no use arguing. "Fine, I am about twenty minutes away. I am heading back now."

Raph didn't wait for a response and closed the phone shoving it back into his belt. He had really been enjoying the freedom of being out of the lair by himself that he was loathed to give it up. Just the other night the news had been going on about a large storm that was due to hit New York in the next few days. If it was as big as predicted then it was likely that this would be the last time he or his brothers got a chance to hit the surface for a while.

With an ease that only came from years of practice Raphael scaled the building next to him with amazing ease, landing on the roof with a clean back flip. He moved out at a jog, a dark shadow moving from roof to roof without a sound. Within moments the faded green and white of a winterized central park was sprawled out before him and he dropped back down to street level.

As he walked down one of the many paths he was aware of a presence. Raph paused and moved closer into the shadows. Not far behind him he heard soft foot steps crunching the dried leaves that lay on the ground but then it stopped. Raph instinctually grabbed the hilt of his sai and waited. Nothing happened, there was no further movement and he thought perhaps the person knew that he was there but he doubted it but even if the did that was fine with Raph. If some mugger thought they would have an easy go with him he would have fun proving the fool wrong.

The crunching sound started again but it seemed more random as if the person was staggering and then there was the unmistakable sound of someone falling. Raph stood undecided for a moment. Should he go and investigate or head back to the lair? Leo would say that it wasn't their responsibility but then what if the person really needed help and he just walked away? The temperature was dropping rapidly as the night wore on and the snow fall was only going to get worse. If he walked away and someone was in need of help then they very well could die from exposure. He couldn't simply walk away; his honor would not allow it.

Keeping a strong grip on his sai just in case, Raph moved forward towards the main path. There was an old street lamp that sputtered out dim light onto the well used path. It didn't offer any real illumination but it was plenty for Raph to see by. Not far from a bench at the edge of the bare trees was a small form crumpled in on it self. Careful not to reveal himself in case it was some kind of new trick he moved towards the body.

From Raphael's vantage point he guessed that it was a young girl who was sorely underdressed for the currant weather. In fact, there was something alarmingly familiar about the girl. As he came closer he could clearly see purple hair sticking out from a thin wet hood of the sweater the girl was wearing.

"Angel?" there was no answer from the still form and he rushed forward, gripping her shoulder. "Angel! Wake up kid." He shook her gently trying to rouse her from the dangerous and deadly sleep her body was trying to fall into.

Angel's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into his face. "Raphael?"

"Yeah kid, it's me. What are you doing out here?!" His voice bordered on concern and anger at the same time as he pulled the girl up from the ground.

"Ran away," was her muttered response.

"What do ya think you are runnin from this time?" Raph had her on her feet now but he had to keep a strong grip on her arm or she would just fall again. That is when he got a good look at her face. Angel had a busted lip and a black eye and Raph instantly felt his blood boil despite the overwhelming cold.

"Scratch that, who did this to you?" he asked gesturing to her face.

"I'm cold. Wanna sleep…"

"Oh no you don't kid!" quickly he took off his own coat and wrapped it around Angel's shoulders. "Listen kid, you got to stay awake." He pulled her closer to him and started to rub her arms trying to warm up the ice cold skin. Raph knew that he had to get her inside or risk hypothermia although looking at the girl she was obviously already suffering from its affects.

"Well, I know that Leo is going to have my tail for this but right now I don't really care. We got to get you some place warm. Come on." Raph resisted the need to pick the girl up and carry her; she needed to keep herself moving. Wrapping one arm around her slight frame he started to push her in the direction to the manhole cover that he and his brothers used to access their home. That is when he noticed that she was moving with a definite limp. Whatever and whoever had hurt her would have to answer to him once she was able to tell him what had happened.

Knelling down and keeping Angel upright was a bit of a challenge but he managed long enough to move the heavy metal lid of the sewer cover. Gently he guided the girl to the ladder, hopping that she had enough strength left to hold on and descend without falling. He waited till he could hear the faint splash of her feet in the shallow run off water below and then moved onto the ladder himself.

"How you doing kid?" he asked just to keep her talking while he pulled the lid back into place.

"Ookayy," Came her stuttered response pushed through chattering teeth.

"Good." He dropped down to the bottom of the ladder without bothering with any of the rungs. "Come on then, lets keep moving." Raph draped his arm around her shoulders again and she snuggled in close to him which oddly enough he didn't really mind.

They reached the door to the lair and when it opened both human and turtle were greeted by a wave of warm air that hungrily embraced them. Raph was reminded in that moment just how cold he had been and how much he hated to be cold.

The sound of chattering teeth made him look down and with the bright clean light of his home he could see just how deathly pale Angel was. "Come on kid, we got some electric blankets that we can wrap you up in."

Without pause Raph moved through the living area of their home to a small room off to the back. With the new lair the small infirmary was one of the first things that they had built. That room had been used more than any of them liked to think about in the past few years.

Donnie was sitting at his computer as Raph walked by with his cargo in tow, eye ridges lifting in surprise as he silently moved to follow them. Leonardo also noticed the quiet entrance of his brother and moved to follow for a completely different reason.

"What has happened Raph?" was Donnie's softly spoken question as he moved around his brother to see who it was he had wrapped up in his oversized coat. He couldn't stop a small gasp of surprise when he met Angel's eyes.

"I think she has hypothermia," and as if on queue Angel's eyes started to drift shut again. "No! Don't do that kid, you need to stay awake."

Raph and Donnie's gazes met and there seemed to be a silent conversation that passed between them. Donatello moved out of the room, brushing past a stoical Leonardo. He was back in less than a minute with a number of blankets wrapping them about the shivering girl.

"Raph, why don't you go and make her some hot broth?"

"Sure Don," he looked back to Angel as he sat her down on one of the small cots in the room. "I'll be right back."

He moved out of the room, bumping shoulders none to gently with Leo as he went out the door. He started to count in his head as he walked: five, four, three, two, one…

"What exactly do you think you are doing bringing her down here?"

So predictable, Raph started to rummage about the cupboards till he found some generic noodle soup. "Look Leo, I wasn't about to leave her. This is Angel after all. She needed help and I stepped up to the plate. What's your problem with that?" He started to heat some water on the stove as he continued to search for a vessel to take to Angel when everything was cooked.

"Why didn't you just call an ambulance instead?"

Raph slammed the cupboard door a little harder than he had originally intended but Leo was getting on his nerves. His brother really was too uptight sometimes. With some effort, Raphael took a deep breath to center himself before he turned to face his brother.

"Look, I made a decision. It might not have been the same choice that you would have made but it's done. The girl needed help and I wasn't about to turn my back on her. Did you look at her?" Leo opened his mouth but Raph cut him off. "No you didn't! Someone beat her up and she took off to the only other place she feels at home, the streets."

At the mention of the girl being beaten Leo eye ridges raised and doubt crossed his features. "Someone hit her?" His tone had changed completely, now he sounded far more concerned rather than annoyed.

"Yeah, I didn't take a lot of time to ask a bunch of questions. She was pretty cold, I think she had been out there for a while."

Silence fell between them like a brick dropped from the Empire State building.

"Your soup is boiling."

"Oh," Raph turned quickly pulling the pan off the stove and pouring the hot contents into an oversized mug he had found.

He brushed past Leo as he headed back to Angel. She sat on the bed looking a little more alert as Donnie wiped an antiseptic over her cut lip causing her to gasp softly. Now that the dirt was gone it was obvious that she had been in some kind of fight. Raph silently handed her the steaming mug which she took graciously, mumbling a faint thank you. No one said anything as they watched Angel sip gently on the hot liquid.

"Angel," Leo pushed himself away from the door jam he had been leaning against. "Are you going to tell us what happened?"

A dark shadow crossed her face as she looked over at him and then away. "Nothing happened," she grumbled.

"A black eye and a busted lip would suggest otherwise." Was his firm yet gentle response.

There was a soft sigh and she looked back down to her mug watching the steam make wavy shapes in the air. The things that had happened to her were not things that she was really ready to talk about or re-live.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

Leo let out an audible sigh. Raph could see that he wanted to push but was hesitant to do so. "Alright Angel, why don't you get some rest. When you are more up to it we will talk."

"Fine, whatever," was her soft response to his back as he walked out of the room before her gaze dropped once more to her soup. She really wasn't all that hungry but the warmth that bled from the cup into her hands was a relief. Her body absorbed the heat and she felt the thin sheet of ice that had attached itself to her skin slowly melt away. Angel had never been that cold before and she hopped that she never would be again.

"How are you doing now?" She looked up to Donnie's kind eyes and she offered him a small smile.

"Much better, thanks."

"You know, you are rather lucky that Raph found you when he did." Donnie moved about the room putting away supplies as he spoke, gently reprimanding the girl.

"I know."

Donatello turned back to her, crossing his arms as he gazed at her. He debated berating her further but then decided that it would do little good at this point so he changed tactics.

"Isn't your grandmother going to be worried about you?"

Angel's expression turned dark as tears began to form at the edge of her eyes. "I said I don't want to talk about it!"

Donnie put his hands up in a defensive move as he was momentarily concerned that he would be wearing steaming soup as she raised the cup in a threatening manner. "Alright, just calm down Angel." The cup was lowered and he stepped closer to the girl glancing over at his brother who looked just as concerned.

"Angel, we are just worried about you okay?" Donnie placed a calloused hand on the side of her face, using his thumb to brush away her unshed tears. Despite herself she leaned into the gentle touch.

"I know and I am sorry I just…can we talk about this latter?"

"Of course kid." Raph steeped away from the corner he had been standing in joining Donnie.

"I'm sorry but I am not really hungry."

"Here, let me take that." Donatello offered as she placed the cup in his hands. "Why don't you get some rest. Your body temp is just about normal again."

Angel just nodded and laid herself down completely on the soft warm bed as she watched Donatello disappear from the room, snuggling down in the blankets that were still wrapped about her. A gentle hand griped her shoulder and she knew instinctually that it was Raphael.

"Sleep tight kid." He started to move away but was stopped by a small hand reaching out for his own. The question was obvious in his eyes as he looked down. She opened her mouth but then closed it again.

She took a deep breath, "please don't leave?" She felt weak for saying it but being alone was the last thing she wanted. "Please?"

Raph looked undecided for a moment as he looked back to the door and then back to Angel. It was unlike Angel to reach out for someone and Raph once again found himself ready to kill the idiot who had managed to break part of this girls spirit. The hand that grasped his was weak and his heart went out to her. For a moment Angel miss read his expression and was sure he was going to pull away but then he gave her a small smile, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

"Why not? Move over kid." He moved away from her to close the door and dim the lights. Mikey would be back any moment with Master Splinter from April's apartment which meant the TV would be turned to full volume. With the door closed it would keep out the bulk of the noise leaving Angel in peace to rest.

Angel scooted over to allow enough room for Raphael to lay down on top of the covers. He settled himself with his head on the pillow allowing Angel to curl up next to him, snuggling her head against his arm. One small arm reached around his chest holding him tight, her body still shivered but not so violently as before.

Raphael closed his eyes and listened to Angel sleep beside him. His mind wondered as he began to think of what could have possibly happened to her. The one thing he did know was what he would do to them in turn. No one hurt one of his family and got away with it. No one.

Angel stirred in her sleep and he tightened her arms around her. The gesture seemed to comfort her as she slipped back off into sleep without wakening. Gently he bowed his chin and kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

"No one will hurt you again Angel, and that is a promise."

A/N: I am sorry if Angel is a little OOC as I have only seen two episodes with her in it and I liked her character, but I have heard rumor that there are more episodes that she hangs out with Raph. However, the only way that I get to watch any of these episodes is by buying them especially as now they aren't showing them anymore! Ahh!! Anyway, if you think this is something that you guys want me to keep going with then please leave me a review to tell me what you think of it so far. Thanks

Teoryn