A/N: I'm sorry! I don't know why this took me so long. Would you believe that it is because it is my longest chapter? No? Oh well. I just couldn't really see where to go with it, but I eventually got it.

This is set a couple days after the last chapter. Just thought I'd let you know... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No, I do not own TMNT

"Are you guys alright?" April O'Neil cried anxiously as she burst into the lair. Casey Jones followed behind her.

"We're fine, April," Don assured his friend.

"Do you guys want to go up to my grandma's farm?" Casey asked. "Ya know, to rehabilitate or whatever?"

"That will not be necessary, Casey," Master Splinter said.

The turtles were lazily hanging around. Don and Mikey were on the couch while Leo and Raph preferred to stand. Not being able to train or go topside left them with plenty of extra time that they didn't know what to do with, so they had called April and Casey. Then the turtles had remembered that they hadn't told them about the Foot incident and April had rushed over as quickly as possible.

April fussed over the turtles. She was leaning over Mikey, fixing the pillows behind him when she saw a figure in the kitchen doorway. She stiffened. "Mikey," she whispered. "There is someone in the kitchen doorway!" Mikey's head jerked around, but upon seeing the figure, he relaxed.

"Mars, come on over here!" the orange clad turtle called out. Casey's attention had been drawn to the kitchen door also, and he watched as a nicely curved figure stepped into the light. Casey examined the short girl. Dang, she is hot! He scolded himself for thinking it since he was dating April, but he couldn't get the thought out of his head.

"April, Casey, this is Mars," Don introduced them.

April and Casey looked confused as they weren't sure who this girl was. Leo sighed. "It's a long story."

After telling the two humans Mars' story, Mikey exclaimed, "I'm hungry!"

"When aren't you hungry?" Raph muttered.

"Let's get a pizza!" Mikey said, ignoring his older brother.

"What is pizza?" Mars asked curiously.

Mikey gasped dramatically. "YOU'VE NEVER HAD A PIZZA?"

The petite girl shook her head.

"Someone go get a pizza RIGHT NOW!" Mikey exclaimed and quickly shuffled a reluctant April out the door.

While they waited for the redhead's return, Casey walked over to Mars. She eyed him cautiously.

"Hey," he said simply.

"Hello," she replied.

"So, you're like a ninja and stuff? Like my green pals over there?" Casey asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I guess you could say that," Mars answered. "Though, honestly, I prefer to call myself a warrior of the shadows or a shadow warrior."

"Ya know, that sounds much cooler than 'ninja.'"

Mars gave a short chuckle. "I guess it kind of does."

"You have nice hair," the words rushed out of Casey's mouth before he could stop them and he began to blush.

Mars blinked, surprised. "...Thank you," she said, a little uncomfortable. "I better go...see if my tea is done." She rushed off to the kitchen.

Casey sighed and turned in the direction of the turtles. Raph was staring at him. "You have nice hair?" he asked. He seemed to be the only one who had heard Casey and Mars' quick conversation.

"I...I freaked," was all Casey could say. Raph shook his head and turned to the TV, which Mikey had turned on while they waited for April to return.

April returned a short while later with four boxes of pizza. They all went to the kitchen and crowded around the wooden table. They all decided to let Mars have the first piece. They all watched as she picked up a slice of cheese pizza. "It is very greasy," she commented.

"That's one of the things that makes a pizza so enjoyable!" Mikey burst out.

Mars slowly raised the pizza to her mouth and carefully took a bite. Her eyes grew wide and she mumbled with her mouth full, "This is awesome!"

Mikey beamed. "I knew you would like it! I mean, who doesn't like pizza?"

Everyone started grabbing for pizza and soon all the pizza was gone. That was not surprising. What was surprising was that Mars had eaten about half of the total amount of pizza. "Who knew such a small girl could eat so much?" Casey muttered.

"Is there anymore?" Mars asked. Everyone looked at her with disbelief.

"How can you eat anymore?" Don asked. "I don't even think that's physically possible."

Mars just shrugged and said, "I'm not from your planet. My stomach is different."

They sat there for a moment, letting their food settle. Then they all went off in different directions. April and Casey left, Don went to his lab, Mikey went to play his Game Station, Leo and Master Splinter went to the dojo, and Raph went to his punching bag. Mars lingered, watching everyone leave. She turned back to the dirty table and the dirty dishes. She doubted anyone would clean them anytime soon. Turning on the sink water, she began to clean the dishes.

An hour later, the dishes and the table were clean. Mars wandered out of the kitchen and into the living area. Everyone was in the places they had been in an hour ago. She noticed a wooden chair just sitting in the far corner. She walked over and pulled it with her as she made her way to Raph and his punching bag. She stopped a few yards away and sat backwards in the chair with her legs around the back of it. There she sat, just watching Raph whack away at his punching bag. He had a certain rhythm to the way he punched. She watched as he carried on with his rhythms, as he let out some anger that was always stored inside him, as sweat slithered down his green skin, as his strong muscles rippled, as a cute, distracted look set on his face...

Mars shook her head. Where did that thought come from? Before she could further question herself, Raph turned to her and asked, "Why are you just sitting there watching me? It's kinda creepy."

Mars shrugged. "Nothing else to do."

Raph was quiet for a second, then, "Ya wanna have a go?"

She stood. "Sure."

The petite girl walked the few yards to the punching bag and Raph moved out of the way. Raising her fists, Mars began to pound away at the bag. Despite her size, the small girl could throw a powerful punch. She began to form her own pattern. Following her rhythm, she whacked the bag for a good thirty minutes before she stopped and backed away, signaling that Raph could continue. The red clad turtle got up from where he had taken a seat in the chair and took her place. Mars again sat in the chair because something intrigued her to watch.

As the red clad turtle started up on a different rhythm than before, Mars asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Without stopping, Raph asked, "Doing what?"

"Punching at your bag when you are injured. Surely this must be hurting you."

"It helps me release some anger and it helps me focus. It doesn't hurt."

Contrary to his last statement, Mars saw him wince slightly when he hit the bag with his left arm. Mars saw him concentrate harder and he didn't wince again, but she could tell that he was hurting. "Why do you have so much anger?"

Raph stopped pounding his bag and held it still. "I...I don't know. I'm just so mad at the world and...people. They just...they're just all bitches." With that, Raph hit the punching bag hard once and then continued punching it with the same pattern as before.

Mars stayed silent. She wasn't sure what to say. The silence was getting kind of awkward (for Mars anyway), but Don walked out from his lab and called, "Come on, everyone, I have to check to see if your wounds are healing alright." Leo walked out of the dojo, Splinter following him. Everyone sat down somewhere and Don went around. Mars and Splinter were standing near by, waiting for the results.

Don finished and straightened up, breathing a sigh of relief. "Everyone seems to be healing alright. But, Raph, you might want to take it easy, that left arm is pretty bad."

Raph glanced at Mars and she sent him a 'told ya' look. Raph scuffed, but said nothing.

"What about you, Don?" Leo asked his purple banded brother. "Did you check yourself?"

A guilty look crossed the Einstein brained turtle. He mumbled, "Maybe..."

Leo sighed. "Go check yourself."

Don sat and, after a quick examination, said, "I'm fine."

"Good."

"Can we go now?" Mikey asked impatiently. "I have a high score to beat."

Don chuckled. "Yeah, Mikey, you can go."

The youngest turtle jumped up, winced at the sudden movement, and rushed off to play some videogames.

Raph stood, ready to leave, but Leo stopped him by standing and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Try to take it easy, Raph."

The red clad turtle shrugged his brother off and made his way to his punching bag. He stood by it for a few seconds as if making a decision and then jumped up to his room.

Don dismissed himself to his lab once again, muttering about the circulatory of some device that he had collected out of the garbage.

Splinter started to make his way toward the kitchen. "I wonder if we have anymore cake..." Leo smiled and shook his head as he started after his father. "Master Splinter, you know what Donny said. You have to cut down on the cake."

"But I love cake."

"Everyone loves cake, but they don't eat it everyday."

"I do not eat it everyday..."

The voices faded as they entered the kitchen.

Mars stood there, unsure what to do. She felt as if she would be intruding if she did anything other than stand here. Leo peeked his head out of the kitchen. "Did you clean the dishes?"

She nodded. He said a quick, "Thanks," and then there was the sound of a pantry being opened behind him. The eldest turtle turned and warned, "Master Splinter..." before disappearing into the kitchen again.

Mars was left alone again, still unsure of what to do. After a few more moments deciding, she started for Raph's room. She didn't know why, but she liked talking to the arrogant, and hotheaded turtle.

Standing in front of his door, Mars hesitated. She didn't know if she wanted to disturb the always-angry ninja. She shrugged the uneasiness off and knocked on the door.

"What do ya want?" he grumbled.

Mars opened his door a crack and peeked in. The red clad turtle was laying on his hammock, swaying slightly. Ignoring his question, she walked in and stood there, staring at him. "What's wrong?"

He jerked his head toward her. "I don't remember telling you you could come in." She continued to penetrate him with her gaze. "Nothings wrong."

Mars rolled her eyes and pulled a wooden chair, similar to the one she had sat in earlier, from the corner and sat by his bed. "Talk to me."

He looked bewildered. "Why would I talk to you? I don't even trust you." She cocked an eyebrow. He sighed. "Fine. My brothers annoy me."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it," the hothead said sarcastically. "My brothers annoyed me and now I'm pouting like a four year old."

Mars sighed. "Are you going to talk to me or what?"

"I will if ya don't interrupt with stupid remarks. It's not just that my brothers annoy me, it's the reason why they annoy me."

"And why do they annoy you?"

"Jeez, you sound like a psychiatrist..." He paused for a moment. "They don't trust me. It's always 'Raph be careful,' 'Raph, don't over do it,' 'Raph, calm down,' Raph do this and Raph do that." He paused again. "I can take care of myself. They don't always have to watch over me. Sure, I'm not perfect like Fearless, but I ain't a stupid turtle. I know how to care for myself."

"They're just watching out for you."

"I hate being bossed around."

"They care for you."

"And I care for them," the words came out as a whisper. Raph hadn't meant to say it out loud. He didn't like to show his feelings and emotions and here he was, letting it out to someone he didn't completely trust. "I..I don't know why I'm talking to you." Raph turned in the hammock so that he was facing the wall with his shell toward Mars.

Mars, not wanting to upset the turtle further, got up silently and left the room, shutting the door with a soft click.

Raph heard her go and something inside him longed for her to come back. She seemed to be the only one he could talk to. He shook the feeling off and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

A/N: What does you think? I don't have much to say other than:

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