A/N: I know, I'm taking my time with them actually expressing, or even fully admitting to themselves, that they may have feelings for the other, but neither Raph or Val are overly mushy, and they've both got major trust issues that have got to be crossed and he is only the first guy Val's ever met, so please bear with me. Thanks again for reading, and all the reviews; you guys are the best. :)

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"What up, ghost ninja?" Mikey greeted her as he took the bundle of cookies, sniffing them. "Cookies! Sweet! You're officially the best!" He wrapped her in a big hug that almost threw her off balance, then let her go. She slightly staggered. "I mean that. Oh, and no hard feelings about before, right? I mean, your family; they're totally cool."

Val couldn't think of any response to this monologue and so nodded dumbly, letting April take her coat, hat, and mittens from her as she hung the bow and quiver on the hat rack. "Mikey's harmless," she whispered in Val's ear, with a small giggle. "Come on," she pulled her into the living room where Leo and Brice were sitting on the sofa playing a boxing video game.

"Hey, sis!" Brice called over his shoulder after Leo squarely defeated him. "Wanna try?"

She shook her head, and he shrugged.

"Don't like boxing?" Casey's voice came from her left side and she turned to see him grinning at her.

"I like watching it," she said. "Now and then Dad can get it on TV."

"Cool," he said, leaning against the back of the sofa. "You know, I do a little boxing myself?"

"Is that how you lost the teeth?" she asked.

April snorted, but he ignored her, "Nah, I lost these playing hockey. Took a puck to the face," he said proudly, putting his arm around her shoulders. "You ought to come watch me play some time. You know, when life goes back to normal."

Val blushed violently. "When life goes back to normal, I probably won't see you any more," she said softly.

"Nah," Casey said, "it's one day's drive to the big city. The drive'll give us time to get better acquainted."

She giggled nervously, trying to shrug him off. "Okay," April said, tugging her by the elbow. "Want to help me in the kitchen?"

"Please," Val whispered. As they exited the room, she sighed with relief.

"Casey can be overwhelming sometimes," April comforted her, as she opened the fridge and pulled out the fruit salad.

"He's definitely unique," Val said, her face still burning. She looked around the kitchen. "So what do you want me to do?"

April laughed, "I just wanted to save you from Case, but if you really want to help, you could ladle the soup in the tureen. It's in the cabinet next to the stove."

"Is he like that with everyone?" Val asked softly when April came closer.

"Not everyone. He likes you, but he's also a notorious flirt and an adrenaline junky; super bad boy, if you know what I mean. It's hard to tell where you stand with him."

Val nodded. "He's cute, though," she said with a faint smile.

"And he knows he's cute," April said, rolling her eyes. "Trust me, the charm wears off really quickly."

Val said nothing for a while. She moved the soup to the table.

"Want to fill the glasses with ice?" April asked. "Don't mind Ice Cream Kitty, she's sweet."

The brunette opened the door and let out a small yelp, almost slamming it at the sight of the tentacled cat made of ice cream. Val looked back quizzically at April and they both burst out laughing. Val didn't even know why, but the whole thing was too funny. She was breaking basically every rule her parents had given her to go to a party with a girl who had considered her an imaginary friend for years, the first guy she'd ever had a crush on, and four mutant turtle ninjas. If she was going to get herself grounded, at least she was making proper work of it, she thought, tentatively patting Ice Cream Kitty on the head. Life was weird.

"What's so funny?" Brice asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Just girl stuff," Val said, trying to regain her composure. "You wouldn't understand."

"Thank God," he said, shaking his head.

"Supper's almost ready," April said. "You could call the..." But in a minute, all the guys were waiting at the doorway, "...guys. Hungry much?"

Val hadn't seen that much food on one table in years. There was roast, cream of onion soup, green beans, three kinds of pizza, fruit salad, candied sweet potatoes, and rolls. They always ate well, but not to this kind of excess. It was like Christmas had come early.

"Dig in Val; these guys are bottomless pits," Casey advised her.

"Oh, like you're not," Raph scoffed.

Val swallowed a bite of food, pointing her empty fork at her brother, "Betcha Brice is worse."

"But he's so little," Casey said in shock. "What are you, like 10, kid?"

Brice looked highly insulted, "I'll be 13 in March, man! Good things come in small packages, like dynamite and stuff."

"On what planet does dynamite count as a 'good thing'?" Val asked, with an eyebrow raised.

"Ah, you're just crabby cause you're a giant!" he laughed.

She rolled her eyes, fighting back the blush. She was taller than her mom, although not nearly as tall as her dad. In the last couple of years, Brice had taken to calling her Daddy Long Legs or Bean Pole. Normally it didn't matter. The fact she was taller than him gave her a few extra inches of grab when he felt like acting like a little jerk.

"Hey, you know what? You guys totally ought to stay over tonight!" Mikey said, grabbing another slice of pizza.

"Can we, Val?" Brice called across the table. "They won't be back till the 23rd."

Everyone was looking at her and she squirmed under their gaze. It was a long walk back home, but they didn't have anything packed to spend the night and they were already taking a huge chance just being there. Her mind flashed back a few minutes before to her and April laughing. If she was going to get in trouble anyway, she ought to stay the course. Sighing she nodded, "I suppose we could. If April and the rest of you don't mind."

"Sweet!" Mikey and Brice said in unison, slapping each other's hands over the table. "Party time!"

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She had thought that there would be too much food, but when everyone was finally full all the plates were empty. Brice jumped up and excused himself, saying he was running back home for their stuff. "But that'll take all night," April protested, "we've got stuff here."

Brice just laughed and tore out the kitchen door, disappearing into the treeline with a flash of blue. April looked back at Val in shock. "He's pretty fast," Val said with a shrug. She'd gotten used to Brice's hyperactivity over the years. He'd probably be back in a half hour with way more stuff than they actually needed. It wasn't any use trying to stop him when he got an idea in his head.

"Is it strange?" April asked as they walked out onto the porch. Leo volunteered to clean the kitchen, and so they went out to relax. "I mean, you being the only non-mutant in your family."

Val's face fell a little, "Most of the time, I don't think of it, but it can be kinda awful sometimes."

"What do you mean?" April asked, sitting on the edge of the porch, letting her legs swing off the ledge.

"Well, Brice is fast, Dad's really strong, and Mom can heal anything, but I'm just me." She leaned her head against the porch post, watching April. "It means I'm slower, weaker, and less talented than anyone else in my family. I'm the weak link."

April looked at the girl with a newfound sympathy. When her father had been turned into a mutant, he was mindless and terrifying. Had she not known the turtles, perhaps she would have thought that every mutant was like that, but this girl had grown up with mutation as the norm rather than the exception. In her family, she was the "freak."

"Raph says you're an amazing shot," April said, bumping against her arm with encouragement. "I've always wanted to learn to shoot a bow."

Val grinned. "I could teach you tomorrow morning," she offered. "It's really not that hard."

They could see a faint glow of blue against the blackness of the forest and in less than a minute Brice skidded to a stop in front of them. "Hey gorgeous," he said, winking at April, "And Val." He looked confused for a moment. "I thought this was supposed to be a party?"

April giggled, "You ought to complain to Mikey; I'm sure he'll solve that."

Brice grinned wickedly as he adjusted that overstuffed knapsack on his back and hurried off into the house. "I think Brice's found a best friend," Val said, smiling. "I just wish it wouldn't all have to go back to the way in was in a few more days."

"Hey," April said looking the other girl in the eyes, "it doesn't have to; we'll talk with your parents. We can make them see that we're on their side. Right?"

"Maybe," Val said with a shrug.

The door burst open, "Let's get this party STARTED!" Mikey called as he stuck his head out the door. From inside there was the scrapping of furniture being moved around and music started up. "We need our ladies!"

"Val counts as a lady?" Brice snorted. "Boy is the world in trouble."