Soft cotton lain over beaten sore skin gave strange sensations, like feathers. Too heavy to go unnoticed, yet too light to provide security. Security, so sought after the physical and mental trauma of watching once mighty and powerful wings that were to carry a multi-ton load rip off and escape alone into the dark of night. Leonardos head swam in the dark cloud his mind had been locked to durring the calamity. Only now did he sense the present yet lacking protection of a blanket. Soft and worn like the ones on Splinters couch. Splinters home? Is that where he was? Had he returned to New York? His eyes cracked. It was very light in the room. That wasn't like Splinter. Maybe he had the lights on for Mike. He didn't like sleeping in the dark. Opening his eyes wider he saw the room looking less and less like Splinters living room. Mike afraid of the dark? That was years ago. He chided himself for a stupid and ultimately half-conscience conclusion.

Soft breathing around him told him he wasn't alone. Without looking to see whom with he already knew. For the longest portion of his life he slept beside the same 3 people. He was well accustomed to their breathing patterns in sleep. Mikey's 'hoo's', Donnies deep breaths, and the not so occasional snort, and Raphs almost silent breath through his teeth. Just to be sure of that last one he was compelled to prop himself on his elbows to check. Yes. Raph was there alright. They were all there. As that fact and the memories of the accident sunk in simultaniously he felt both great relief and great distress make their effect upon his shoulders.

Their surroundings added to his distress, and he found his chest tightening as his shoulders decided whether to straighten or slump. The blankets proved someone had become privy to their identity. His morale hung onto his brothers sound conditions like a life line as the rest of the circumstances dragged him down further. At least whoever had taken them in wasn't there at the moment. Somehow Leo felt his presense would turn the room completely off kilter.

Turning to Donnie wide eyed he shook him awake, murmerring his name. It took several attempts before he was roused, looking up at his brother in some confusion. Without changing his expression Leo reached over and woke Mikey, then Raph. Both took a bit of time to cycle through the same reactions Leonardo had already encountered. Looks of growing confusion merged and transposed to fright of a close call. They spoke silently between widened eyes, hardly stirring from upright positions upon the floor. Several quiet spaces were broken with Donnie diving into Leonardo, clutching him around the stomach, his head pressed against his side. Mikey was next, taking the other side. Raph joined and hugged tight to his brothers, his big arms squeezing them close. Leo extricated his arms and used them to wrap himself around his friends, completing a sloppy ball. Donnie and Mikey pulled away partway so they could as well hold onto Raph, shifting about akwardly into a square. Leo stroked each of their heads in turn, giving gentle pressure to show he was there. Even Raph accepted this affection without turning away. Other than the giant hug the comforting was left to Leo, a feat he gladly embraced. Splinter taught him the good a little caring could do.

Mikey took an odd shuttered breath and finally looked up, his eyes with a bit more of a serious light. His eyes jumped from match to match, seeing if others were ready to begin talking. They all sobered for him, and their arms dropped down, still close to one another though. It smacked of late night readings of comics and soda. All boxed in close and quiet, afraid to be discovered by someone who might spank them.

But now that they were all ready, no one knew what to say first. Or what subject to broach first. New ones were popping up all over the place. Raph was the first to break silence though.

"Where the hell are we." It seemed to be the foremost question for each of them. Plus the only one they didn't know quite how to answer. Several more moments passed before an easier question surfaced.

"I wonder what happened to everyone else." Mike asked. Finally something to focus upon. Don took the lead on it gratefully.

"They could be around here somewhere." He instantly found it hard to answer without introducing the previous question. "... or maybe they're out there."

"Are we the only survivors?" Mike asked, with a bit of excitement. Leo couldn't tell if it was anxiety or some sort of pride. He didn't want to know right then. While his brothers began discussing the circumstances they found themselves in he began surveying the direct surroundings. He found it to be what appeared to be a porch? Fenced in however with a fine netting to make it look like a room. It looked like womans stockings. Hundreds of them, sewn together. The floor was a very light colored wood, with streaks of brown and black marbling in the thin strips. The walls were the same wood, tied together with something or another.
Where is this? The set of Gilligans isle?
There was a ceiling as well, and an illusion of a door where two walls failed to connect.

Outside he could see and smell sweet humid air. Leafy jungle had been cleared back a bit so one could look out from the room to the foliege. Lovely blue and purple flowers displayed their nectar to him, lonely drops of water hanging onto the sagging leaves. It had rained recently.

His brothers ever loudening whispers drew his attention from the outdoors to themselves. They had been laid out with some very ancient blankets he saw. They were worn, and ripped in some places. Mikeys' looked like it was once several articles of clothing. There was nothing else laid upon the floor. Which was why they so easily had woken. It is not a pleasant feeling to be rocked about on ones own shell. Had they left any marks on the floor?

No. Good. Oh, what is this?

A pair of narrow feet occupied the floor boards between the 'not quite' door jamb. Feet lead to ankles. Ankles to calves. Calves to legs. Legs to knees.

Woah now.

Leo already knew what this was. But it had been so long since his last time with a woman he just enjoyed to bare legs while he had the view. Knees to thighs. Then a brown shift of leather hung about the hips like a dancers tied scarf, ornated with ribbon and flowery things that hung down the short tied side. The one that showed the side of a complete thigh. Yeah, that one. Up farther, a nice tummy. The familiar gentle swells of a feminine body. And a topless body at that. But long locks of hair hid what seemed to be the focal of that chest, only hinting at what secret curves it hid beneath it. Long wavy dark red hair. The color of robust wine. Or blood flowing straight from a heart. This hair framed a young delicately featured face, with eyes so light they picked up whatever color was close enough. And now it was just the warm tan of its mistresses skin. High cheek bones, full lips, and big eyes smacked of a well bred young lady. Dressed like a shy little geisha.

Too good to be true. Casey must have set this up for them he imagined. No... no that doesn't fit at all. And the girls eyes on him made him feel self conscience. He could break her in half if he wished. That made him feel a little better. Not very gentlemenly though. Her eyebrow raised at him, and her chin tilted just so. Was she sizing him up? Why not. He had done the same. Probably much more intimately as well as what she was attempting.

"Should I turn around for you?" He offered, letting his brazen side stupidly get the better of him. His brothers ceased their discussion and looked at him. Their eyes followed his line of vision and caught onto the girl. Just as well. He wouldn't have a chance with her anyway.

"So. You speak english." Hers had a mix of Japan and England in her tongue. An interesting combination. "Good." If she was expecting a response after that she would be disapointed. Leonardo saw his brothers were preoccupied with imagining her legs wrapped around their hips. Fine then. He was more than happy to get to the bottom of things.

"Who are you."

"What are you." Obviously he was a turtle. Who was she?

"Where are we." He pushed the blanket aside and left it crumpled by his leg. Her glance at it caught his eye, but looking back at her she showed no emotion about it.

"Our island."

"...Where."

"Lost island."

"Lost... like forgotten?" Donatello chipped in his two cents.

"That too." Don exchanged glances with his brothers. Mike spoke up with something unusually insightful for his A.D.D. saturated mind.

"Is there anyone else here?" A nod answered eventually. That seemed to be a relief. The thought that those other people might not be such good samaritains about their presense on the island was less of a concern right then.

"Is there a boat?"

"If there is why do you think we're still here." A question with a question.

"Any phones?"

"Telephone?" A nod was answered by a shake.

"What about radios.... televisions.... anything?" All shakes of the head. This was a dead end. They still hadn't secured a means of escape either. Another bout of quiet contempation came and went between the four. "How did we... get here." Donatello offered.

"You washed up on shore-"

"Oh yeah." Mike interuppted. She turned her attention to him, tilting her head just so. "Was there anyone else with us?"

"No." Leo saw Mike begin to float off into his ruminations again, leaving the girl hanging. "I'm surprised you made it yourselves, over the reef that is."

"Reef?" Donnie chimed.

"There's a reef that goes all around this island. It keeps boats out. And most people caught in the current."

"How did you get here then." Leo asked. Her eyes turned and matched his. He could make out at last some emotion for a few moments, but her voice reflected none of it.

"The same way as you I would suppose." Those fair eyes lost their veil of pain. "You must be hungry, I'll see breakfast it brought in." She turned to leave, then stopped, turning her head back some. "You'd be best to make yourselves comfortable. You'll be here for awhile." She disapeared out the room, leaving it a little less pretty.

Fuck that. They didn't have to sit around and be treated like stupid farts. They'd find their own way off the island. Get back to New York. Or just move right on to Japan. Hell, they were a bunch of strong, intelligent, able bodied men. Independant at that. Mutant or not.

Then again... how often was it they came into contact with half naked island girls. That could have some possibilities. So they'd be delayed a few days. Splinter would wait for them. For whatever lot of luck had saved them, not four other passangers, should be explored a bit more in depth. It would be a shame not to do some exploring. It would be an insult to all those men that had possibly died. Their ghosts might haunt them all their days for not seizing the oppurtunity. Like going to Bangkok and not sampling the massage parlor almost. They had to stay. There wasn't a choice.... they didn't know how right they really were.

That was the summary of their conversation as they sat pow wow style in the circle. It gave them a strong sense of reassurance and power over the situation, something they rarely gave themselves outside New York. Their musings were interuppted just as they ended with a giddy little greeting.

"Good day!" Their heads jerked to the doorway and moved as the attractive flower of a stranger nearly danced in. Traipsing in a cloud of spirited innocence, she wore a crown of pink and blue lilies. Compared to her predescor she was short, but her body was just as alluring. Golden blond locks tumbled down her shoulders and just barely over her chest in ringlet curls. Bubbly blue eyes smiled all over, also with her bright white teeth. For a lost island they had supurb dental care. A skirt was made out of dark nylons, wrapped around her hips many times, decorated with flowers and shells.

She dropped to her knees beside them, the tray she carried expertly placed on the floor as she did so, not to upset its contents. It wasn't until then they recognized how hungry they all really were. Fucking be damned, they hadn't eaten anything since those shitty bags of peanuts. They didn't spend any time to examine the new concubine, their eyes already magnetized to the tray of cooked fish, fresh fruits, goblets of something that resembled milk. A few flowers were laid out in the upper corner, and matched the size of a few holes in the flower crown lain upon their waitresses head.

"We caught many fish today. You've brought us good luck!" She announced. "When your finished with this come outside. It's a beautiful day. Leave the dishes here and I will clean them." A bright smile lite the room, and she was out the door again.

"...Think they're safe?" Don asked at last, the first vocalized question about their own safety. Murmerings bubbled forth quietly, before Raphael grabbed one of the fish by the tail.

"Fuck it. I'm starving." He sat back and began eating. Taking the cue, the rest of them took something from the tray and began breakfast.




Outside really was beautiful. A long stretch of sandy white beach was the front lawn. The crashing surf carried out onto endless expanses of clear ocean water, a dock had been painstakingly built underwater up with rocks and stones wedged and crammed together with thick cement mud. The house they had found themselves in was also meticulously built, nestled just inside the edge of the jungle forest. Two stories had been built up and across from what was obviously an original single room hut. A porch had been built around the entire house, held up upon stilts from the beach. The window and porch were both screened with more nylons, and decorated with shells glued along the support beams. The roof was pitched, and covered with giant palm leaves to keep rain water from settling on the roof and seeping in.

Out on the beach the blond girl was busy picking up stray drift wood, holding a big bundle to her chest already. Collecting branches also another girl accompanied her. This one was taller, with straight mousy brown hair that came down around her waist easily. She wore a nylon skirt like her friend, and bedecked it in shells tied about ribbons.

Leonardo began towards them with his friends not far behind. His curiosity was perked by the seemly continuous stream of scantily clad ladies. He wondered if they were just as curious about them. The blond girl looked up as they approached and smiled.

"Hello." She chirped. "How did you find breakfast?" They joined her and her friend.

"Very good. You find all these things in the forest?" Leo asked. She nodded. "So nothing is shipped in."

"I wish! We get everything off the island that we need anyway." Oh. "I'm sorry, I've failed to introduce myself before when it was proper. My name's Delihla." She did a little curtsy. "This is Sandy." Sandy curtseyed as well.

"I am pleased to meet you." The pleasure's all ours.

"You've already met Rose?" Delihla asked. "She spoke to you before I did."

"Oh. Right. Rose."

"She went around the other side of the island to clean up the beaches. She'll probably be back the afternoon." Delihla continued picking up sticks.
"You clean the beaches?"

"Somebody has to." She smiled. "You can join us if you like, or you can have a look around. Just be careful. We'll show you around the island tomorrow if that's alright?"

"Yeah, sure. Okay."

"How big is this island anyway?" Don asked. Delihla's brow furrowed slowly as she tried to grasp the question, her warm brown skin turning to wrinkles of confusion.

"How big.... we-e-e-e-llll... it's like a...... if you have a .... uh...." It occured to him that she didn't know of anything as big as the island to compare it too. Was this all she had ever known? Dons attention turned to Sandy as she walked around them, dragging a stick over the ground. The others began to watch too as she made what looked like a deflated ballon outline in the sand, matching the stray ends up back where she stood. She made six quick 'x's by one edge with the point of her toe.

"This is the island. This is us."

"Which one am I?" Delihla asked. Sandy ignored her and continued.p
"This takes around 2 hours," She traced a line parallel to the edge of her map, down to the opposite side from where she marked the 'x's. "And this is 4." She drew the stick around a much curvier and eclectic side of the island.

"Oh." Donatello looked down at the marks.

"Wherever you go, make sure to be back on the beach before sundown. We're going to have a feast! Tee hee!" She smiled and continued away. Don caught Sandy looking at him for only a split second before she turned and followed. He decided then to join them. Mikey came along as well. Raph disapeared out into the jungle where a path had already been forged for him. And Leo turned and began in the other direction. Things were begining to get out of hand he felt. The fact that there were this few people on the island, left to even clean the beaches themselves. No boats got in, no information got out. There was a reason this place was deserted. No one could find it. How exactly did he plan to get out? The person that seemed to have some insight on this was on the other side of the island, which was exactly where he went.




Bird calls in the jungle bounced back and forth above the trail. Flowers and vines hung down like draperies, catching moss that wished to fall to the ground to sleep. Shadows were thick as air and sun was as light as shadows. Both battled for substance beneath the canopy leaves.

Raphaels feet were warmed by the moist soil and undergrowth. Flowery perfumes came and sighed their scent across his shoulders, draping over him in greeting. He wasn't quite aware of their presense yet, preoccupying himself for a wish of a blade which to cut down the lazy fronds which hung to touch his face as he passed. He felt personally insulted by their brazenness. The walk was a nice stir to the day, but these damn fronds were begining to wear on his nerves.

Nearly a hundred yards in he heard the faint unmistakable sound of a water fall. That was somewhere he could calm his nerves. Get a drink too. That coconut milk was wierd shit. Dipping below the heavy leaves he weaved through tree trunks, cutting through to the sound of water. Not far off. His hand pushed apart two hanging sheeves of furry brown moss, and stopped to let him look out. His nerves forgot all about the walk, and became thankful that they had arrived at such a destination. The moss closed in again enough for him to look out, but remain hidden mostly.

An eliptical pond rippled with new water falling from a cliff head above, curving around the pond to drop its water. Flat stones were stacked, purpose of purposelessly about the waters edge, and beneath the waterfalls drop. More forest began around it, but here, in this little pond, was an open santuary for suggestive shadow play, the view of open sky. And beneath the waters fall, Rose. He ran his tongue along the underside of his teeth.

That red hair was a give away. The long tapered limbs. Graceful curves. Hiding behind the waters floating mist, hips and fingertips swaying in dance, ever so slowly. Hair rose up upon a rest of fingers to greet the water as it fell. Then falling, clung to shoulders and breasts to feel their curves, feel their wet softness. Water from that hair dribbled down, sinking into waist and hips... running down bare thighs, into the cove of her knee, down, around the leg into a watery home. Oh how he longed to be that hair, that water.

She stepped from beneath her shower, out onto dry stepping stones. Trailing wet foot prints behind her step she rung her hair. He watched with fascination as she squeezed water from the tips and shook the rope of hair loose. Then stopping in her way to the largest rocks she bent over, jigling her hair down. He didn't quite understand. A jerk of her head and straightening of her back sent the damp locks flinging back, and a spray of water curving away. All he could see were those firm breasts that jutted out proudly. Everything displayed proudly.

Oh god, do that again.

She did, and again after that. That seemed to satisfied her, she continued up onto a tall warm rock and laid upon her stomach, arms crossed for her cheek to rest upon. Raphael watched a bit longer, then sat himself back, setting the moss back into place. He found himself panting, his desire for Rose increased many fold. He could not just barge in unanounced however, even though in any porn that would be more than acceptable. The real world just didn't work that way. He'd bid his time. Return to the pond again later. Not yet though. He used a tree trunk to pull himself back to his feet and climbed back toward the path.