Hey, this was my First Fanfic...

sorry if its not as good as some of my others...

I don't own the Turtles but I do own Nikki...

please don't use her without my permission.

(BTW this Fic like all my others is based on the 2K3 series...)

CHAPTER ONE: Nikki

Nikki Fairweather was walking home, deep in thought when suddenly she felt a gun being pressed into the small of her back, as a sinister voice whispered

"Gimme all your money and nobody gets hurt."

She laughed softly to herself before turning to face the two young men threatening her.

"Do I really look like someone who has a ton of money floating around?" she asked. The muggers glanced at each other. She had a good point. With her spiky green hair, tattered jeans and rumpled, paint stained, red shirt, she didn't really look like someone with a lot of money.

"So... since I don't have any money, I guess you can let me go, right?" she said fake-sweetly, as she started to back away slowly.

"Sorry" the taller of the two said with a smirk. "But I'm afraid it doesn't quite work that way."

As he lunged to grab her, a shadow detached itself from the wall and flew at him, scattering Nikki's books and knocking the mugger to the ground.

"Leave 'er alone!" snarled her rescuer, punching him in the face before spinning around to take care of the second man, who had been edging towards the entrance to the alley.

"Where do you think you're goin'" he asked dangerously, advancing on the terrified man with a smirk. "Ya can't leave yet, the funs about ta start!" he told the man as he kicked him so hard that he went flying into a wall. The two men got to their feet and ran away as fast as their legs could carry them.

"You ok Miss?" asked Nikki's rescuer, turning towards her.

"Wow!" she breathed, finally getting a good look at him. Standing in front of her was a five foot tall turtle. He had a bright red ninja mask, two dagger-like weapons hooked into his belt and a large shell covered in battle scars. "You're...amazing" she said, letting her gaze travel over his very muscular green body, noting that although earlier he had been wearing a fierce scowl, now that the fight was over his gaze had softened and he seemed genuinely concerned about her.

"Uh thanks?" he offered, obviously uncomfortable with how closely she was scrutinizing him. After a moment he added "Ain't ya gonna run away screaming or somethin'?"

"No..." she replied, "why would I do that?"

"I dunno." He said shrugging. "Its just, that's what most people seem ta do"

"I'm not most people" she said. "And why wouldn't they at least stop to thank you for helping them?"

"I guess I look weird or ugly or somethin'" he said, shrugging again.

"I don't think you're ugly" Nikki said honestly "I think you look rather handsome! Green, but handsome."

"Well you'd be da first" he said, a little dejectedly.

"Nikki Fairweather!" she announced brightly, sticking out her hand. He stared at it in surprise for a moment before enveloping it in his large, strong, three fingered one.

"Raphael" he said, shaking her hand firmly.

"Well Raphael..." she said, enjoying the way his name sounded when she said it, as she stooped to pick up her books "Thanks for beating those jerks up for me."

"My pleasure" he responded, leaning over to help her.

"I seriously don't know what I would have done without you" she continued, chasing a pencil that had rolled away "I'm not really much of a fighter."

"Really?" asked Raphael "cause you sounded pretty cocky to me."

"Well, yeah" she said as he handed her stuff to her. "But, I mean, I get mad, I just don't react violently. I mean, like, the world has so many problems and I just want to fix all of them, y'know?"

"Yeah" murmured Raphael quietly. "I know."

"But I take out my frustrations on my art and turn them into something beautiful instead of, like, freaking out a lot and making more problems" she explained cheerfully.

"Really?" asked Raphael with interest "hittin' stuff works pretty good for me." She laughed.

"well we all have our own ways of dealing with stress I guess!" She said with a smile "but anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is I may have 'guts' but I'm not going to actually attack someone Raphael, I mean, I don't even know how to throw a punch!"

"You should probably learn how ta defend yerself, if yer gonna stay in New York" he said leaning against a wall "and you can call me Raph, if ya want"

"Ok, Thanks, I'll keep that mind" she said, shivering a little as the temperature dropped. She hoped he wouldn't notice.

He noticed.

"You should probably get home. Its gettin' later."

"Ok!" she said brightly, hugging her books to her chest. " It is getting a little nippy out" she admitted, trying not to stare as it occurred to her that technically, he wasn't wearing any clothes, so, by rights he should be the one freezing his butt off.

"I could walk ya home if ya want" Raph offered, blushing slightly. "y'know just ta make sure those thugs don't come back."

"Thanks Raph!" said Nikki with a grin "I'd like that"