Emily storms out of Casey's kitchen. She looks tentative and uncomfortable. When she sees the other turtles in the living room, a look of annoyance crosses her face. Leo hears her mutter something under her breath, and watches as she turns and leaves. When he hears a door slam, he looks at his brother, Donnie.

"Who was that?" he asks.

Donnie shrugs. "Haven't got a clue."

"Did Casey and April get into another fight? Maybe he just got a new girlfriend," suggested Mikey.

"I don't think even Casey would date a girl that young," says Leo, rolling his eyes.

"You're right," says Mikey grinning. "They're not legal."

Donnie looks like he's about to say something, but decided against it. Raph's coming up behind his younger brother anyway.

"She's his niece, ya' moron," he says as he hits Mikey in the back of the head.

"You're niece, Casey?" asks Leo.

Casey nods. "She's spending the summer with me."

"It's already in the middle of July. If she was spending the summer with you, wouldn't she have come at the beginning of June?" points out Donnie.

"So she's spending the rest of the summer with me."

"When was all this determined?" asks Mikey, rubbing the back of his head.

"About two weeks ago."

"And ya' didn't think to tell us?" asks Raph.

"Well," Casey looks sheepish. "It kinda slipped my mind."

"Some uncle you are," Raph shakes his head.

"What's her name?" Mikey again.

"Emily." Casey looks uncomfortable all of a sudden. "We aren't that close, you know? Her mom doesn't like me much. After Emily's dad died, they moved down south. I didn't hear from them until I got that call a couple weeks ago."

"Just out of no where?" Leo asks, looking confused. "So Emily's dad is your brother?" Casey nods. "When did he die?"

"About four years ago," he answers. Than he thinks for a moment. "Helen sounded really flustered on the phone. She practically begged me to take Emily." He smiles. "It's been years since I've seen her. I just couldn't say no."

"And than you forget all about it?" Raph smirks. "Smooth."

"Hey!" Casey says defensively. "Things came up."

"Like what?"

"Okay, you two," Leo says, cutting in. "We should get going, it's getting late."

"Why don't you guys just stay the night? I'd like Emily to get to know you a little better. It could be just what she needs." Casey pauses. "If you don't mind just sleeping out here, that is."

"Like a sleepover?" asks Mikey. "Will there be popcorn and movies, and-" There's a knock at the door, interrupting him.

Casey answers it, pays for the pizza he almost forgot was coming, and walks back to where the guys are standing. "And pizza!" says Mikey excitedly.

"Sure, if you want," says Casey, handing the boxes to the turtle. "Maybe we could get Emily to submerge."

"Can we Leo? Please?" asked Mikey, turning his baby blue eyes to look at his eldest brother.

"Oh, all right. I'll call Master Splinter to make sure it's okay." He rolls his eyes at him.

"I'll go make popcorn," suggests Casey. "Why don't you guys pick out a movie?"

Casey went to the kitchen to make the popcorn. Donnie followed him to get plates for the pizza, glasses for the soda and beer (which was always stocked in Casey's fridge) and bowls. Mikey and Raph argued over what movie they should watch while Leo called their father.

And for all the noise they were making in the living room, she didn't come out.

In fact, Emily stayed locked in her room for the rest of the night. She read her books and listened to her music, totally oblivious to the commotion going on in the room twenty feet from where she lie on her bed.

~*~

Emily woke up with a headache. She groaned and rolled over, twisting in her sheets to glance at her alarm clock. The red numbers told her it was 11:42. She debates whether or not to get up.

Her head hurts, and the bed's nice and warm. She doesn't want to move.

But her head hurts. It'll keep her awake, and she'll be uncomfortable.

She debates while staring at the clock, watching the numbers change to 11:43. Than to 11:44.

Emily decides to get up.

She drags herself out of bed, changes into a pair of shorts and a tank top. She heads straight to the bathroom and acquaints herself with Casey's medicine cabinet. As soon as she locates the Advil, she swallows three, chasing them down with a gulp of water.

She walks into the living room and is met by a mess of blankets and pillows.

They didn't leave. The turtles are still there.

She shakes her head. Pizza boxes and pop cans lie astray. Dirty dishes are piled on a coffee table near the coach. She think she sees a couple beer bottles. Emily's just happy it's no where near as bad as the kitchen.

And speaking of the kitchen…

She walks into the room, looking for something to quiet her aching stomach, but she stops short. One of them seems to have gotten up, and he made breakfast.

He turns when he hears her enter. This one is wearing an orange head band and pads. He has some sort of weapon in his belt, but Emily can't recall the name of it. She wonders vaguely if the others wear the same thing.

"Good morning," he says brightly. "I made pancakes." He waves to the stove, where a pancake is sitting in the pan, already turning golden brown.

"Is it a good morning?" she says sarcastically. "I didn't notice." She clears a spot at the table and sits down.

The turtle smiles. "Not a morning person, are you?" He grabs a plate that Emily hadn't seen, already full of ready-to-eat pancakes, and sets it down in front of her.

"I'm not much of a breakfast person either." This wasn't a lie. She usually skipped eating and grabbed something midday.

"Fine," he says, glancing at the clock. "Just call it lunch."

She looks at the turtle, shaking her head. "Maybe later."

He smiles sheepishly. "They aren't poisoned, you know."

"What time did you guys go to bed last night, anyway?" she inquires.

"Late. Waaaay past midnight. Although I am surprised your up so late. Didn't you go bed early?"

"I'm not a mourning person, remember?"

The turtle smiles. "So, what are your plans for the day?"

Emily thinks for a moment, and makes a decision. "Could you tell Casey I'm going out?" she stands up, slinks past the figures asleep on the floor and puts on her flip flops, which are waiting by the door. She slips out without another word.

"Sure thing," the turtle says softly from the kitchen. He's not even sure if she heard him.

~*~