Disclaimer: Still no...except the OCs you will soon see…

Chapter 1: Arrival of Grace

She was running, frantically trying to get away from her pursuers. She stumbled and cried out as the figure she had been cradling crumpled to the ground. The figure in her arms cried out, sobbing a little Teripan girl peeked out of the cloak she had been wrapped in.

"MAMA!" The girl sobbed as her mother struggled to sit up.

~*~

"Yes Leo, we've got the hover car ready, yeah, yeah we're comin'," Raph grumbled into the phone.

Don gave Raph a "really?" look to which he received a dirty look. Raph muttered something as he clicked the phone shut.

"Naggin'," Raph grouched.

Don chuckled.

"He's only worried you know," Don sighed as he straightened before observing the supplies attached to the hover car.

Raph snorted before climbing up and getting in front of the steering wheel.

"Yeah waheva," Raph grumped.

"Ever since you pulled the whole Nightwatcher gig he worries that you'll go lone wolf again," Don chuckled as he came and sat down.

"That was three years ago," Raph commented, "we're a team again…I've got the sore muscles to prove it."

"Still sore from practice Raphie?" Don teased.

"Shud'up," Raph growled, though a hint of a smile turned up his mouth.

Don chuckled before checking the straps behind them once more and nodding for Raph to go.

The hover car hummed to life as it lifted up of the ground and shot down the main line. Don's head jerked around when they past a boarded up area and he heard a wail.

"RAPH STOP!" Don shouted.

Raph jumped and slammed the Hovercar into park, it settled down with a groan onto the water.

Don jumped out and shot toward the area.

"What the-Don!" Raph growled, jumping out after Don's sprinting form.

Don rounded the corner first and came to a halt, brown eyes widening in shock.

Raph nearly ran him over.

"What the Donnie-Whoah," Raph gasped, "she's…a….a-"

"Turtle," Don finished.

She was sprawled on the ground, black hair spread around her, pale-green-white skin was stained with splattered red. Her plastron was white as was her carapace. A loose cloak hid half of her frame and a leather skirt hid her lower body.

They jumped when a whimper caught their attention. Crouched next to the female turtle was a younger turtle, a little girl, with the same dark hair, but her complexion was slightly darker. She was clutching what looked like a ragged teddy-bear and wearing a simple leather dress. Large, shocked, golden-brown eyes stared back at them.

"She's got a kid," Raph gasped.

Don seemed to snap out of his reverie and moved forward, carefully kneeling down and checking the female's pulse.

"Raph run back to the hover car and get the medical supplies now! Call Leo and tell him we need the infirmary ready!" Don ordered as he carefully rolled the young woman onto her carapace and started CPR.

"STOP HURTING MY MOMMY!" the girl wailed, latching onto Don and trying to push him away.

Don turned to the girl and gently pulled her into a hug.

"Shhhh…I'm trying to help her," Don coaxed.

"She…won't wake up," the toddler whimpered after she realized that Don was a friend.

"I'll be ok," Don coaxed, "shhh."

Raph came rushing back and found himself doing CPR as Don attempted to calm the sobbing toddler.

~*~

Don rushed into the lair with Raph cradling the woman in his arms. Don had the girl on his back and was frantically attempting to stay calm, if for no other reason than to keep the girl relaxed.

"Don what did Raph-wait….where did you-?" Leo started as he spotted the young woman.

"Sewers, is the infirmary ready?" Don asked.

Leo nodded and stepped back as Raph rushed past. Leo's eyes widened when he saw the woman.

"No…" Leo breathed, "it can't be…"

No one noticed what he had said, much to his relief. Mike came out and received the crying girl and was ordered to entertain her. Leo remained frozen, eyes flicking from the young woman to the girl. His golden-brown eyes widened as spotted the woven leather necklace with a white and blue carved stone rose.

"Grace…" Leo gasped as he turned back toward the infirmary.

It was all he could do not to sprint toward it, they couldn't know, not yet. But never the less he moved quickly trying to help best he could.

~*~

April had just arrived when Don came out, he looked shaken, deeply sad, and a little lost.

Leo looked at him, afraid to ask, they couldn't know.

"Donnie? I brought those things," April said softly.

"Where's the little girl?" Don mumbled.

"Asleep, Mikey convinced her to curl up over there," Raph whispered, gesturing toward the couch.

Don simply nodded before looking at April.

"She won't need all that…I…I couldn't save her," Don mumbled.

Leo closed his eyes and fought the wave of grief that hit him, they couldn't know.

"Do you know ht child name, the young woman's?" Master Splinter murmured.

"Her name was Grace…….and her daughter's name is…Amber…" Don replied, "she asked me to find the girl's father…but she didn't give me the name…."

Leo bowed his head and gave the girl, his daughter, on the couch a sad look.

"Very well…we will bury her up at the farmhouse…I am sure Mr. Jones will not protest," Master Splinter murmured, glancing toward the man that had just recently arrived.

Casey nodded in affirmation.

A silence settled over the group as the infirmary was closed off. After the others had all wandered off Leo slipped into the infirmary and stood over the covered body. He pulled back the sheet, pressed a kiss to Grace's forehead, let a few tears fall and covered her back up.

"I'll take good care of her…I'm sorry I never came back," Leo murmured.

He sat and simply wept softly, forcing his tears to silence as he grieved best he could without alerting the others to where he was.

Ok everyone…I've long been debating on whether or not to do this one…but…I've chosen to…please review for me!!