Author's comments: I've noticed a few new names on my review lists and I want to thank both the readers who have just joined and the faithful few who have been with me on this since day one. What writer doesn't love feedback? And honestly, it thrills me to pieces when I see a Review Alert in my Inbox! Even if it's just a few words, please, if you're going to read this fiction, take the time to hit that button. After all, if you don't review, it's like getting this fic for free!…. What? Oh, it is free? …. Heh heh

By the way, you might not realize the first section above the isn't in either Leonardo or Maddy's POV, it's in Raphael's.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any names, characters, places or events therein covered by the copyright. My only claim to this is my OC 'Madeline'. (See comment above Disclaimer in chapter 1 for why not to sue me)

CHAPTER 10 --

"Oh dear…."

" 'Oh dear'!" Raphael echoed incredulously. His voice bounced off the high domed ceiling of the station and made the woman flinch. His patience had snapped.

After standing around that couch for what had felt like half an hour, just watching the blind woman smooth her thumb across the crumpled paper in her hand silently, his temper had reached boiling point. She hadn't said one word, not while their sensei had read the flyer aloud or for sometime after all discussion had died in the room. The silence bearing down on the subway, making the platform seem just that little bit bigger, colder and more empty, had prickled him. The red ninja's nervousness became anxiety and from there, anger.

"What the hell do you mean 'oh dear'! Those things are everywhere up there, girlie, and now all you can do is sit there and-- !"

-SMACK!-

The sharp sound of flesh impacting hard against flesh cut off the rising fury in his words. Raphael stumbled away from the couch and grabbed blindly for a handhold, managing to bump into the TV unit opposite before he lost his footing. One hand braced on the frame, the other rubbing at his smarting jaw, he glared at his brother now blocking his view of the woman sitting on the sofa.

The first sparkle of saltwater pooling in the corner of Madeline's dark lashes decided Leonardo and before he had even realized the consequences of his actions, his fist had lashed out at his brother. He just wanted to make Raphael stop. For some reason, there was a tightness seizing his chest that made him feel like the heart in there might split apart if he had to see a tear roll down that ivory cheek…

"Leonardo!" came the old rat's reprimand, as sharp as any blade the turtle had wielded. The world stopped for a split second and the four brother's froze, eyes locked on Splinter. Their father brought his cane down hard on the concrete floor, the sound booming. "Sit… back… down…"

Slowly, Leon made his fist relax and sunk back onto the cushions beside the human girl. He didn't look at her though, eyes flicking back and forth from the furious Raph to an equally irate Master.

"Michaelangelo," came Splinter's stern order. "Take your brother to put some ice on his face. Now."

"But--" the youngest son started.

A throaty 'hmph', that growl in the back of the rat's throat as he tapped his walking stick again and gave the orange-clad son a skewering glare over his shoulder, was enough to result in compliance.

"Donatello, assist him." The sensei added, and Donnie, smart enough to know arguing wouldn't get him anywhere, did as he was told.

The four brothers headed off the platform, disappearing into the carriages with Raphael swearing under his breath unprintable explanatives all the way. Which left Leonardo alone with Madeline, his father, and another silence so thick it choked him.

Between their thighs, sitting side by side on the lounge, he felt a fumbling touch graze his fingertips and glanced down to see the woman's trembling hand trying to work its fingers through his. When he took a look at her face, he saw fear in her clouded, vacant eyes which darted left and right like a scared child. Now he regretted his outburst more then ever for having put that fear into her gaze.

"It's okay…" he assured her, though he wasn't sure of the words himself. His thick fingers slide themselves between hers, two of her slender digits fitting between his and pressed their hands tightly palm to palm. "… It's over now…"

"I'm so sorry…" Madeline murmured, her shoulders curling inward as if she were trying to huddle into herself. "I didn't mean to put any of you in danger. Especially after you saved my life… Leo, I'm sorry…"

"Hey, don't be silly." the turtle assured her softly. He would have brought his other hand up to touch her if he hadn't been so conscious of Splinter's hard scrutiny boring into him from the other side of the couch. "You haven't done anything wrong, Maddy…"

Splinter interjected by clearing his throat rather firmly and deliberately. "You are the victim in this situation, young lady," he began, his tone harder then it should have been for sympathy. "However the fact remains that you have a life waiting for you above ground and now I think it is high time you went back to it."

Leonardo's finger's flexed around her small hand gripped tightly in his. Spoken aloud, those inevitable words dug under his skin like a nasty splinter. Why was this hurting so much?

With her head bent forward over her lap and her dark hair falling into her face, shielding her expression from him, Madeline nodded. Her voice, as she agreed with Splinter, was steady, but it wavered towards the end as if she were holding back tears behind her veil. "I understand, sir… I do have people up there who are worried about me," she sighed softly and the paper of the flyer in her hand crumpled as she gestured with it. "This does not leave me with any choice, after all, does it?"

Splinter made a gruff sound which was a definite as a 'no'. "I will gather your possessions and my son will escort you back to your home… tonight…."

Leonardo turned to watch the mutant rat shuffle away towards the carriages, the tap... tap... tap of his cane the only sound in the air now…

You just know Raph is going to kick Leo's butt in the dojo after that, huh? And so the blind woman is sent back to where she belongs, but what if Leonardo doesn't want to go back to where he belongs? Or maybe I'm just messing you all! You'll never know if you don't read on, will you?