A/N: I am so glad you are all loving the story so much! Thank you for the wonderful and beautiful reviews!


"That's not fair." Mikey whined. "Why does Leo get to hold her?" Leo couldn't help but grin as Raph handed over the bundle with the sleeping babe.

"Because you're drivin', bonehead. And I know Leo ain't gonna drop 'er." Raph turned and headed into the back of the truck where Vivi had just woken up. She already looked a bit better, the dark circles under her eyes were less blatant. He settled on the cot beside her. His eyes were warm as he cupped her cheek. "How ya feelin'?"

"Better." She replied in her soft meek voice.

Raph wondered how a person with that gentle of a spirit could be so strong. He pulled her into his lap, letting out a shuddering breath. "Good." When she slipped her arms around his neck and buried her face against him, his entire body turned to jelly. He'd been so tense for so long with worry and fear, to have her safe and warm in his arms was the most peaceful he'd felt in months. "We'll be back home in a few minutes. You'll be safe there. Nobody'll ever be able to hurt ya again." He rubbed her back gently, twisting his fingers in her blue locks.

"I'm safe here." Her warm breath danced across his neck and a tingle began to spread through his entire body. They cuddled on the small cot and Raph persuaded her to eat some more, until they pulled into the garage.

Effsu's group appeared as Vivi took the baby from Leo. He turned to the Turchan leader. "Thank you for your help. I'm not sure we would have won today, if is weren't for you." He smirked. "Or at least we would have had to take a far less direct approach."

The Turchan gave him a small half-smile. "We did nothing she wouldn't have done for any one of us." He glanced at Vivi standing with Raph, Temprez, and Quassu. "We have all been friends for as long as I can remember. And when their father died, my family took them in. They are in all the ways that matter my little sisters." His smile grew as he watched them with the baby. "To know that Vivi is safe and happy is all that I could possibly hope for."

Leo nodded as Effsu turned his blue-green eyes back on him. "She will definitely be safe here." He chuckled. "I don't think my brother is going to let either of them out of his sight for years."

"Come on, guys. I'm starved." Mikey put his hands on Vicbra and Attenmir's shoulders to usher them into the lair. "Time to raid the fridge."

Attenmir rubbed his stomach. "I am kind of hungry."

Mikey grinned. "Well, let's get inside and grab some grub." He glanced over his shoulder at Raph. "Hurry up, bro. I'm sure Master Splinter is gonna flip over the baby." Everyone else followed the enthusiastic younger brother from the garage, except Vivi.

She paused, feeling suddenly nervous and a bit frightened. Raph stopped a few steps ahead of her when she didn't immediately follow. He turned to find her wearing a worried expression and fear tinging her violet eyes. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

Her gaze left him for the open doorway, then back to him. "Will he… Will he be upset?" What if Splinter was angry? Would he try to separate them? Vivi wasn't certain she could handle that again.

His brow bunched in confusion. "Who?" Then he remembered what Mikey had just said. He stepped forward, squeezing her shoulders warmly while shaking his head. "Aw, no, Doll. That ain't what he meant. Sensei's gonna be thrilled. He knows all about ya. I told 'im a while back." She raised a blue brow and he chuckled. His eyes smoldered with a desire he'd suppressed until now. When he spoke again, his voice dropped an octave. "Well, not everything." Cupping her cheek, he kissed her softly. "Don't worry, he's gonna love ya. Just like I do."

She took a deep breath and gave a firm nod. "Okay."

Raph smiled. There it was - that fire that lived just beneath the surface in her beautiful eyes. "Come on." He wrapped an arm around her waist guiding her through the door.

The others were already gathered around telling Splinter of their victory. The old rat's gaze, however, was fixed on the open doorway leading into the garage. When Raph and Vivi finally appeared, his heart soared for the happiness he saw on his son's face. And then it jumped, for in the young woman's arms was a tiny bundle.

The group grew quiet as he moved towards the couple. They stopped in front of him. Raph smiled. "Father, this is Vivi. And this," he pulled down the edge of the rag blanket, "is our daughter."

They stood for a long moment as astonishment washed across Splinter's face. The longer the quiet lasted, the more Vivi fidgeted. She pressed herself as far as she could into Raph's side, uncertainty creeping back into her gaze. Finally, Splinter cleared his throat. "It is wonderful to finally meet you, Vivi. I have looked forward to it." His eyes lowered to the little green face that let out a large yawn. He took a few steps closer to look down at the child. "She is both beautiful and amazing." He placed a warm hand on Vivi's arm and she smiled, the tension leaving her instantly. "I would like to hear more of your story, but you still seem weak. I suggest we continue in the kitchen."

A bright genuine smile lit up her face. "Thank you, Master Splinter."

Beside her, Raph's smile was just as bright. "That sounds like a real good idea."

The large group crowded into the kitchen, where Michelangelo and Attenmir were already stuffing their faces. Vicbra too was eating, but at a far more moderate pace than the other two. Mikey looked up and mumbled something completely incoherent with his mouth full. Both Vivi and Quassu giggled. Raph snorted as he set his mate in a chair and immediately went to find healthier foods for her and their child.

Splinter sat in an adjacent chair, his eyes still locked on the beautiful green infant. "What have you named her?"

Raph and Vivi stopped, exchanging a look. It hadn't occurred to either one of them to give her a name yet. They had been occupied with much more pressing matters such as staying alive. He carried the large plate of food he'd prepared over to the table. "Uh, we ain't really talked 'bout it." He looked down at Vivi. "Got any suggestions?"

She and Temprez exchanged a sad look and the elder shook her head. There was only one name that came to mind and neither was willing to say it. Vivi sighed. "Not really."

"Our people give their children names with significant meaning, usually something that occurs around the child's birth. You could do that." Delten suggested.

Vivi frowned and shook her head. There was nothing remotely good that happened around the time of her daughter's birth. And even if there had been, she wouldn't have used it. Raphael deserved to understand the significance and since he was not present it didn't seem fair.

Raph settled in the seat beside her. "Really?" That was something he hadn't learned the day they'd spent in the cell.

"That's kinda cool." Mikey had finally satisfied his gut – at least for the moment. He eyed his new family member. "So, what's Vivi mean?"

"Vivi is a nickname." Temprez explained. "Her full name is Vivistarbita. It means bright little star."

Raphael smirked. "I like it. It fits ya." Vivi returned the smile, squeezing his hand.

Splinter ran his thumb over the small head and she opened her green and gold eyes to stare up at him. "A name is not necessary at this moment. Perhaps it would be best to wait. I have faith that you will choose a suitable one."

Vivi looked down at the babe. "Faith?"

When she looked up, Raph grinned. "Yeah, that's it."

Splinter smiled. "Hmm, quite suitable considering your faith in one another."

"It is certainly not a traditional Turchan name." Quassu smiled. "But it is very fitting."

Effsu glanced at the time and frowned. He straightened from his position against the wall and met Vivi's gaze. "We should be getting back to Sogel. What should we tell them about you when we return? We could tell them that you died, that way no one will come looking for you. Or we could tell them that you simply refused to return with us."

Vivi closed her eyes, holding Faith a little tighter. "It would probably be safer to say that I died, but we can't. There may come a time that I'll need to come to Sogel."

Quassu frowned. Vivi was right. It was safer to say she was gone. Tehron in particular was not going to be happy with the news that she chose to leave them. "We can bring you anything you need or want."

Vivi and Temprez shared another look and the younger sighed. "There are some things that you can't bring me, Quassu."

Temprez snorted. "I am quite capable of taking care of our home – what's left of it - and everything that's inside it."

Vivi shook her head. "I'm sorry, sister, but that is not your responsibility."

Anger flashed in Temprez's eyes. "Neither is it yours!"

"Father left it for me to care for."

Temprez waved a hand. "We don't even know if it's alive."

Vivi's eyes narrowed. "It is! Father-!"

Temprez jabbed a finger in her direction. "Father lied to you! Those were just fables! Even for our kind they are myths!"

"You're just angry because he left it for me!" Vivi growled.

Delten frowned at both of them. "What are you two talking about?"

Effsu eyed them. "This has something to do with you two sneaking off to that pile of rubble once a year, doesn't it?"

Vivi bit her lip and Temprez scowled. "Tell them, little sister, what you're keeping in those old ruins."

Her eyes dropped to the floor. "I can't. I promised. You weren't even supposed to know." She lifted her head to frown at her sister. "And this is most likely the reason he didn't want you to know. Because you don't believe."

"It's a rock!"

"It is not!"

"Looked like a rock to me!"

Vivi's shoulders trembled with anger. She stood up, her chair scrapping against the floor. Raph steadied her as she swayed just a bit and followed her to the door. He shot a hard look over his shoulder at Temprez before leaving.

Effsu dragged a hand down his face. "You two will never get along, will you? Even after her being missing for nearly a year, the first thing you do is fight." He looked around the room at Splinter and the other turtles. "I apologize for their behavior."

Mikey glanced at Leo and then at the doorway. "We're kind of used to it actually." Leo shot him a glare, folding his arms.

"In any case, we need to go. We don't want more search parties coming out of Sogel looking for us."

Splinter inclined his head. "We are very grateful for your assistance."

Effsu nodded. "And we are for yours." He moved towards the doorway and Leo fell into step beside him as they headed for the garage.

"You may want to be cautious for a while. Shredder isn't the type to give up after one encounter. He could try to capture one of you again."

"If he indeed has an Elf conspiring with him, there is certainly a high probability of it." Effsu nodded. "We will remain vigilant and let our people know as well."

Leo stopped near the entrance to the garage. "If you ever need our help again, we're here."

The two shook hands. "The same goes for you." The others said their goodbyes and stepped out into the garage.

But Temprez paused to look at her sister standing with Raph several feet away. She glanced at Effsu and he nodded. He was telling her to apologize. It might be some time before the girls saw each other again. With a heavy sigh she approached the couple. Raph spotted her first and he watched her warily. "Vivi?" The smaller woman turned to her. "Let's agree to disagree for the moment. I'm still your sister and if you ever need me, just call. I will do anything I can to help." She gave her a small hug. "I love you. Stay safe."

Vivi let out a shuddering breath, still trying to calm herself. "I love you too. Be safe, Tem." Temprez turned and headed for the garage with Effsu. A moment later they were gone.

Raph squeezed Vivi's shoulder, meeting her violet eyes. He frowned at her tired appearance. "Here, let me take 'er. Stay here. I'll be just a minute." She gave a small nod. A few moments later he returned without the baby. "Come on." He took her hand and led her up the stairs. He grimaced at the hammock once they were inside his room. "Guess I'm gonna have to do somethin' 'bout that."

A small smile formed on her lovely face, which only spread when he shut the door and turned off the lights. Leading her across the room to the hammock, he laid down and pulled her in on top of him. Her smile escalated into a small giggle. "What are we doing?"

He chuckled. "Just takin' a nap, Doll." He could tell she was still extremely tired and he didn't want to push her further into exhaustion.

She let out another giggle. "Too bad."

Raph's chest vibrated with another low chuckle as well. He squeezed her, reveling in the knowledge that she was finally here with him. "Man, I've missed ya."

She wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. "Me too."

His large fingers brushed gently through her blue hair. "Ya wanna tell me what happened down there with your sis?"

Vivi let out a heavy sigh. "It's a very old argument. One we've had since our father died nearly ten years ago. As shapeshifters we have been exposed to a lot of magic and magical creatures, some good and some bad. When I was young, my father took me to a secrete cavern beneath our ancestral home. He told me that long ago our family was able to speak with the dragons and we became their caregivers. But over time, like us, the dragons were hunted to near extinction. The last of them were slew more than five hundred years ago. But one egg survived." She frowned. "Father showed me in the old anthology, which is gone now, that dragon eggs can lay dormant for hundreds of years."

"And ya have one of these dragon eggs?"

She nodded against his chest. "Yes. I've held it in my hands and felt the life inside it. It doesn't look like much from the outside, which is why Temprez doesn't believe that it is one. It does kind of look like a rock too. I'm sure they're made to, so they wouldn't be easily found."

"How do ya know for sure it's alive?" His large hand rubbed gentle circles on her back.

Her frown deepened. "Father spoke to it and it glowed. But I don't know what he said. It was a language I've never heard before. And because the anthology was lost, I may never know how to do the same thing. He never got a chance to teach me much. He died a few weeks later. All I know is what he taught me about caring for it. Once a year it must be turned otherwise it could crack and the hatchling die. I also check to be sure the chamber it's in is still stable and hasn't collapsed."

"When do ya gotta turn it again?" Raph didn't like the idea of her going into some underground cave.

Vivi thought back to the date she'd seen on the computer in the truck. "Soon. Very soon actually."

His arms tightened around her protectively. "I'll go with ya."

She smiled and tilted her head up to place a kiss under his jaw. "Thank you."

He smiled as well. "Now get some sleep, Doll. Master Splinter's watchin' Faith, so don't worry 'bout 'er. He knows what he's doin'."

Taking a deep breath, she relaxed against him. In just a few minutes she was sound asleep. Raph lingered awake for some time, trying to process everything that had happened in the last day. I've finally got 'er back and there ain't nothin' in this universe that's gonna take 'er away again. I'm gonna keep ya safe, Doll -both of ya. He smiled a bit. Never thought I'd be a dad, but I can't say I never wanted it either. He looked down at Vivi. They're both so amazin'. And they're mine.


The six hawks flew in a lazy formation as they traveled back to their village. Sogel was hidden from the outside world, high atop a mountain ridge, inaccessible to most humans, and secured from intruders by powerful protection spells. At the foot of their mountain was a vast forest in which there was a small trail that was used when supplies were brought in that ran up to the base. As they neared the end of the forest where a clearing was between the trees and mountain, they saw a body lying on the ground.

Attenmir's voice spoke inside Effsu's mind. Is that a human? Is it dead?

I hope not. Effsu replied in the same manner. A human's death so close to Sogel will draw unwanted attention to the area.

If they are alive, we may be able to help. Quassu never liked to see anyone suffer no matter their species.

It could also be a Turchan. Vicbra added to the silent conversation.

We'd better investigate. Delten advised.

I agree, but stay alert. Do not shift until we are certain if it is our kind or not. Effsu led the decent. The six landed in a large tree a short distance from the body.

Temprez recognized the young Turchan male. He is one of ours. She swept down to land near him.

Wait, Temprez! Effsu looked around them to make sure there was no one else in the vicinity. His senses were tingling, telling him something was wrong. But there was no one in sight.

On the ground Temprez reverted to her natural form and placed a hand on the man's arm. "He's still alive!" She called back over her shoulder.

The others fluttered down, returning to normal. "Temprez! What have I told you about being so impulsive!" Effsu berated.

Temprez ignored him as she and Quassu rolled over the young man. The pink-haired girl swept a practiced eye over the body. "That's strange, I don't see any obvious injuries."

Vicbra knelt beside them, frowning at the man. "Let's take him back to the village. I'm sure the healer will be able to help him." He moved to lift the boy over his shoulder, but was stopped by a voice.

"There is no need for that. He is not truly injured, merely sleeping." The group spun to see Eltshire step from the woods into the clearing.

Effsu straightened, his blue-green eyes sharp and cool. "You're an Elf. Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"You act as if you don't know already." When the group stared at him blankly, Eltshire turned his yellow eyes on Temprez. "She has not told you?"

Temprez stared back at him with confusion in her violet eyes. That look only lasted a moment though as it turned into anger. "You're the one that helped to imprison my sister!" Her companions went on alert, all moving at once to strike.

Eltshire thrust out his hand "Slonum!" The shapeshifters collapsed to the ground. The Elf smirked as he walked forward to look down at the unconscious Effsu. "Did you actually think you pathetic beings could harm me?" Of course, there was no response from the male. So, Eltshire turned his attention to the blue-haired female. She was the one he needed, but the others would fetch a good price in the Elven market as slaves. At last he turned, looking at the young Turchan male who was now getting to his feet. "Restrain them."


A/N: Looks like we have a new problem. ;)

Elvish: "Slonum!" = "Sleep!"