Disclaimer: Still don't own those gorgeous turtle boys! LOL!

Warning: The subject matter addressed within this story, may not be suitable for younger readers simply due to the harshness of reality. However, there is no content that would justify a Mature rating such as nudity, sexual situations, or extreme violence.

A/N: Be aware that any part marked with { } will mean that the person is speaking Mandarin.

Take a deep breath folks, we are diving straight in! If you have questions about characters, see my profile.


Leo lowered the binoculars. "This is where you saw them?"

Raph nodded. "Yeah. I saw 'em the other night when I was out patrolin' with the kids. They had a whole boat load of 'em." He growled, clenching his fist at his side. "These people are the worst of the worst. They're real scum."

Donnie lowered his own binoculars. "If they're into what you say they are, they're probably well-armed."

"Which is why I didn't say nothin' to K-three." Raph didn't want to put their children in that sort of danger, regardless of how well they were trained.

Mikey frowned. "You really think they were trafficking people? Like slaves? Do people still do that?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Slavery is still a thriving industry even in modern times." Don said sadly.

Raph growled again. "It makes me sick!"

"Well, we can at least break up this trafficking ring." Leo knew the unhappy truth was it would only be a drop in the bucket compared to the poor souls that were still out there. He raised the binoculars again to watch the small cargo ship dock. A large truck pulled to a stop nearby and six men climbed out. "Looks like the handlers just showed. Let's move."

Without a sound the four were off the roof of the warehouse and moving across the large shipping containers. When they were close, they dropped down into the dark shadows between them. A ramp extended from the cargo ship and the captain came down. He greeted one of the men on the dock. A bag exchanged hands and the captain called back up to another man waiting at the top. A group of people emerged from below the deck.

"Man, sometimes I hate always bein' right." Raphael glared across the dock at the men.

"Alright, Raph you take the right. Don you take the left. Mikey you're with me." Leo looked Raph dead in the eye. "Wait until the group is at the bottom of the ramp. We don't want them shoving those people back into that cargo hold."

Raph scowled, knowing he was telling him to follow orders for once. "Fine, let's just go."

"Be careful guys, we don't know how many men are on that boat." With that Leo gave the signal for them to split off.

Leo and Mikey crept up as close as they could to the side of the truck that was facing them. The driver had gotten out and was smoking a cigarette. He turned his back towards them to look inside the cab for something. Whatever it was, he never got the chance to find it. Like a shadow Mikey fell on him and dragged him back into the darkness, where he was swiftly made unconscious. Now there were no obstacles in their way. The two slipped into position beneath the truck.

The men held their weapons openly as they ushered a group of nearly twenty people down the ramp. The group consisted of mainly young adults, but at the rear was one small figure. It was a small girl of maybe ten or eleven. Her dark green eyes were round in fear as the men around her shouted orders at the group. She'd barely stepped off the ramp when there was a commotion.

Leo and Mikey easily took down the two guys that were in front of them. Raph took down the man closest to him and then went for the leader of the gang. The leader began firing at him, but Raph was still quick enough to avoid being hit. He threw a handful of shuriken which imbedded themselves in the leader's chest.

Across from Raph, Donatello had just taken out his guy when rapid fire came from the vessel. The four dove for cover as the group of people began screaming and scattering in different directions. The men onboard continued to shout commands at them, but none were listening. The captain, who'd retreated to the top of the ramp, began firing into the group.

"Oh, no!" Mikey gasped from where he was now alone beneath the truck. Where had Leo gone? That's when he also noticed that Raph was missing. The two had dove off into the water and were now coming up behind the boat.

"Mikey!" Donnie hissed from his spot behind a container. "We need to get those people out of there!" He nodded in understanding when his brother pulled a smoke grenade from his bag. As soon as it hit the ground near the ramp and exploded in large bellow of smoke, he was moving. One after another, he and Don pulled the innocent people out of danger, while the men on the ship continued to fire wildly into the cloud of smoke.

Leo and Raph had had the same idea at the same time. They had to get behind their enemy. Finding the metal ladder that was bolted into the other side of the ship, they climbed up. Leo paused at the top to survey the deck. He looked down at Raph and gestured. There were six, including the captain. Two were near the bow, while the rest were in the center. Raph pointed at himself and then the center. Leo frowned, then gave a small nod. He would take the two in front and then help Raph with the others.

A cloud of smoke appeared near the ramp and they used the distraction to move. Leo darted towards the bow, while Raph slipped onto the main deck behind some crates. With a kick and a punch Leo quickly dispatched the two men, throwing both them and their guns into the bay.

Raphael shifted to another place closer to one of the four remaining men. Measuring the distance between the other three, he took a deep breath and tackled the one near him. One good blow and the guy was out. The third man that was about ten feet away, turned towards them and Raph threw his sai. It sank deep into the man's soft stomach. By now he'd been noticed by the other two. They swung their guns around, aiming for him. Raph moved just in time for the bullets to go whizzing past him.

The barrage, however, did not last long. Leo descended on them, slicing the rifle in half and disarming the captain of his pistol with a foot to his jaw that sent him down like a rock. He immediately took out the stunned first-mate with a knee to the gut and an elbow to the head.

Below, the smoke cloud was clearing, Leo was glad to see there hadn't been any civilian casualties. Raph retrieved his sai and joined his brother at the top of the ramp. Donnie and Mikey were already tossing some of the goons into the back of the truck that they'd intended to cart their victims away in. Leo and Raph joined them and soon they had the lot inside and the door locked. As police sirens drew closer the four disappeared into the dark.

On the rooftop of the warehouse they'd started from they watched as the police and ambulance pulled up. Mikey leaned forward as he watched the group of victims appear from behind the canister they'd deposited them near earlier. "What'll happen to them?"

"They'll be sent home most likely." Leo patted his shoulder. "We did good tonight fellas. We saved a lot of lives, not just those down there either." They stood and watched the young adults being loaded into ambulances and the goons being loaded into paddy wagons.

Everyone was mostly gone when Mikey spotted something moving in the shadow of a container. "What's that?"

Don pulled his binoculars back out. But all he could make out was the shape of a person. They were too far away for the night-vision to show any detail. "There is someone down there."

Raph pulled a sai and twirled it, still ready for action. "Ya think one of those creeps gotta away from us?"

Leo frowned. "We'd better check it out."

It only took a moment for them to be racing across the dock once more atop the shipping containers, Mikey at the lead. Spotting the shadow creeping along between two of the metal boxes, he leapt down into it's path. "Hey, dude, where do you think-?" He drew up short, catching Raphael as he landed beside him. "Wait!" Leo and Don appeared at the other end of the gap, blocking the exit. Mikey waved at them. "Hold it, guys!"

The four stared in surprise at the being between them. A small girl with large dark green eyes stared back at them. Then she began to cry and babble, she sat against one of the metal walls clutching her legs, pulling herself into a tight ball.

"It's just a little girl." Raph frowned. "What she sayin'? Is that Chinese?"

Don took a step towards the girl. "Yes, Mandarin actually."

"Do you understand her?" Leo asked as he too slowly approached.

"My Mandarin is a bit rusty." Don listened to her babble for another minute. "I think she's saying don't send her home."

"Why wouldn't she wanna go home?" Raph and Mikey moved closer too.

"Look at her arms and legs, bro." Mikey pointed at the multitude of dark bruises.

"Don, tell her we're not going to hurt her." Leo told him.

The girl peeked up at the four large turtles now standing over her. Donatello squatted down in front of her, trying to make himself a little less intimidating. He spoke softly as he relayed the message. The girl just shook her head and kept repeating the same phrase over and over. Donnie frowned. "She just keeps saying don't send me home."

"So, she ain't scared of us?" The idea was kind of refreshing to Raph that someone wasn't immediately freaked out by their appearance.

"No." Don spoke to the girl again. This time big tears ran down her face as she replied. Don felt his body tense with anger at her response.

Leo squatted down next to him. "What?"

"I asked her why she didn't want to go home. She said her father sold her a few days ago to those men to pay off some debt." He frowned. "Or at least that's the way I understood it. It has been a while since I've had a chance to speak Mandarin."

Raphael growled and slammed a fist into one of the metal walls. Beside him, Mikey's expression reflected the same anger and disgust. "What kind of creep would do that!"

Don and Leo stood. "Leo, if we turn her over to the authorities, they'll just return her to her father." Leo frowned looking down at the girl, who was still crying.

"Well, we can't leave 'er hear! She's just a kid!" Raph pointed out.

Mikey shook his head. "So, what do we do?"

The three looked to their eldest brother, hoping he had some idea. Leo rubbed his chin. "Maybe we could use some of our contacts in Chinatown to find her someone that would take her in."

It was Don's turn to shake his head. "We don't have many contacts in Chinatown anymore. Most of them are…"

"Dead." Raph finished.

Leo shot him a look before looking back down at the girl. "Still, it may be our only option."

"That may take a few days." Don reminded him. "And still there's no guarantee that anyone would be willing to take her."

"What do we do with her in the meantime?" Mikey squatted down and gave the girl a smile, which made her stop crying some.

"I think…" Don paused making certain that what he was about to propose was the best for the child. "I think we should take her home with us."

Leo's eyes widened. "What?"

"She doesn't have anyone, Leo. So, it's not like she's going to tell anyone about us." Mikey pointed out.

"And she's scared to death she'll be sent back to that scum." Raph half growled.

"I don't know…" Leo watched Don look away with a sad expression.

"I can't…I can't leave her." Don gestured at the dirty, malnutritioned, frightened little girl. "Just look at her, Leo." He squatted back down and met the girl's green eyes. "She's the same age Sarah was, when Master Splinter found her. I can't do any less than what he did." He looked up at his brother. "Sarah and I will take responsibility for her."

Leo saw the conviction in his brother's gaze. How could he do less than what their own father had done for Sarah – for them? How could he turn away a child that had no one? He slowly nodded. "Okay, but only if she agrees to come with us."

Don put out his hand to his baby brother. "Mikey, give me some candy?"

"What are you talking about?"

Raph smacked him in the back of the head. "We know you have some. So give it, bonehead."

"Alright, but it's my last candy bar." Mikey pulled it out with a pout.

"I need her to calm down, Mikey. This is the best way." Don offered the chocolate bar to the girl. He struggled for a moment, trying to remember the word for candy. Finally, he gave up. "It's candy. See?" The gesture did seem to calm her down. She took the bar slowly and unwrapped it. It was gone within mere seconds.

"Poor thing looks half starved." Raph mumbled behind them.

The girl sat up on her knees and put her hand out. She said something and Don smiled. "She's asking for more."

"Give it up, Mikey." Raph grumbled.

"Aw, man, this is my personal stash." But Mikey passed his brother a handful of tootsie rolls and a lollipop. "That's all I got."

"{What is your name?}" Don asked her.

"Liling." She said and smiled when he gave her several of the tootsie rolls.

"{My name is Donatello. These are my brothers Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo.}" He pointed to each brother in turn. "{We will not send you home to your father.}" Liling visibly relaxed, her shoulders sagging in relief. "{But we can't leave you here alone either. Would you be willing to come home with us? You would be safe there.}" She looked the four over for a long moment and then nodded. Her smile grew when he handed over the lollipop.

He looked up at Leo. "She says yes."

Leo nodded. "Alright, then let's go. At this rate, it'll be nearly dawn when we get back."

Don offered the girl his hand. "{It's a long walk. May I carry you? It would be faster.}"

She took his hand. "{Yes.}"

When he lifted her into his arms, he frowned. She was skin and bone beneath the thin little dress she wore. Liling seemed content to focus on the candy as they sprinted back across the dock and past some warehouses. They'd parked the van only a few blocks away. Once inside, he set her in a passenger seat and put the seatbelt on. "{You must stay here.}"

She nodded then looked around the van in curiosity at all the lights and buttons. Mikey sat beside her. "Here, dudette. This will fill you up a lot more than that candy." He handed her a bag of pretzels and a bottle of water.

She grinned up at him. "{Thank you.}"

Mikey smiled back as he watched her dive into the bag. In the back, Don called ahead. And as he'd suspected, Sarah readily agreed to take Liling in. He also explained that she was still a bit scared, so he didn't want to overwhelm her too fast.

It was nearly dawn when they pulled up between the garage and lair. "{This is where we live.}" Don told her as they entered the dojo. Sarah, Jamie, and Cat were waiting for them. The three women offered warm smiles. The girl hid behind Donnie, uncertain of the new people.

"So, this is LIling?" Cat asked.

"Yeah, she only speaks Chinese. So she don't understand us, only Don." Raph told her.

"She does seem bright enough to learn English though." Leo remarked.

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, she was smart enough to hide when the shooting started."

Jamie frowned at the little girl, wondering what terrible things she might have seen. Sarah took a step forward. "Words aren't always necessary." She beckoned the girl with her hand. Don smiled when Liling stepped around him and slowly approached his wife. Sarah gently lifted her chin and brushed the long hair from the little girl's face. "It's alright now." She said softly. Taking her shoulders, she pulled the child into a warm embrace.

Liling wasn't certain at first of the three women. Would they send her home? The smallest of the three waved a hand to her and met her eyes. They were an incredibly dark shade of brown. The turtle that had been so kind to her so far smiled and it encouraged her. She lowered her eyes as she stepped closer to the woman. But the woman gently lifted her chin and brushed her hair from her face. The gesture was so caring that Liling couldn't help but be reminded of her own mother, which she'd lost many years ago. Then she spoke and although Liling did not understand the words, she understood their meaning. She was safe.

And then this woman she had only met a few moments ago, pulled her into a deep embrace. It had been so long since Liling had been held so tenderly that she immediately buried her face against Sarah and burst into tears. Sarah did not shush her, only held her a little tighter.


A/N: Yeah, that was rather sad and intense for a beginning. Don't forget to review!