A couple days had passed when April first met Mona and Venus. It was like magic that all three got along well with no dangerous motives or anger to one another. Before, Venus and Mona Lisa had helped her with a list of things that her new coming "sister" would like to do while staying with her. The guys, with the exception of Vern, felt left out about the ordeal. Their caring hearts wanted to be in some part of welcoming the little girl and helping April out with her. Fed up with their constant begging and whining, the boys succeeded to help her out. The reptilian girls assigned them things they could scavenge or let April borrow for the time being. It wasn't long to find something in mid condition or a toy from their past that they deemed too old for them. Later in the day, they were asked to bring their items to April's apartment.

Her roommate, Taylor, had decided to stay with the "crazy" ex news reporter after accepting the new ways of Ms. O'Neil. April confirmed that Taylor would be shopping in Times Square, and if Taylor was well, she would be looking for clothing all day. April called ahead and told them that Taylor will leave in an hour. So, the turtles put their items in a pile in the dojo before getting ready. April had already gotten complaints from passerby residents and Taylor that their room smelled ripe after the turtles would rarely visit. She had already been used to their musty sewer sweat smell, but the neighbors have been threatening them. Now, they have to wash up before they could climb through that large window on the balcony.

After their daily training and workout session, Leo, Donnie, and Michelangelo washed themselves up an hour earlier. They knew better to jump in the tub before Mona Lisa and Venus even thought about cleaning themselves. Raphael didn't. He insisted that he stay in the dojo. When no one was there, it was his haven. Although Splinter would warn him not to overwork himself, his son would lose track of time as he let any bottled anger into any bar with weights on it. Now, he was doing his vertical handstands. He had gotten so good at it that he was able to do it in a free-stand with no support of a wall or anybody to hold his feet. Up and down in slow motions, he let his breath puff out of his lungs. The straining muscles of the triceps and deltoids added to the tension felt on his face and burn of his pectorals. It was relaxing to him. In four sets of fifty, the rebel decided it was enough. Slowly, lowering his feet before him, not to let the blood rush too quickly, he let himself down to the floor. There he sat for a couple minutes to make sure he wasn't dizzy if he'd stand.

"Mona! Get out of the fricken bathroom!" It was Raphael, pounding on the metal door of the bathroom Donatello newly installed. It worked like a garage door without a button or a lock to keep others out. If it's open, come in, if it's closed, stay out.

"Wait, I'm almost done!" Mona Lisa's faint voice came from the inside.

"You said that twenty minutes ago!"

"Then you're gonna have'to wait another twenty minutes!" He looked over to Leonardo who was passing by the dojo in their room. Raph wanted some backup, but Leo only shrugged and carried on. The male turtle leaned back, letting his heavy shell push onto the door.

"What are you doing in there anyways?" he sighed.

"Brushing my hair!" Mona shouted back. Raphael's eyes shot open. He expected that it was some girl thing he didn't want to know about or she wouldn't tell him at all, but, no. It was about her hair.

"Brushing your-!" In a fit of rage, his three fingers dug under the foam padded bottom and lifted the door up without care of it possibly breaking. Once he opened it, he saw Mona facing their mirror. The lights surrounding it were lit up, but a couple bulbs had been missing or the sockets just didn't work anymore. Mona stood there it shock. She was grasping a piece of her hair from the back. The rest of her hair hung at her sides or rested onto the office desk in front of her next to her hairbrush. It was the first time he'd seen her hair down. Her reptilian snout was tight and her teeth showed a little when she saw him panting.

"What the heck, Raph?!" Mona let go of her hair. Bead of water flicked from the bottom when she turned abruptly to face him. He charged for her.

"You can brush your stupid hair somewhere else! I'm getting in the hot tub!" His big green thumb thrust into the skin between and just above his plastron plates.

"Then go if you're dead set on it." She turned to go back to tending to her hair. She didn't even wait to hear Raphael talk again. It tired her. Raph stood behind her in the mirror, talking, or arguing, to her through it.

"Heck no! I ain't changing in front of ya." Mona grabbed her purple, wide bristled brush and ran it through her hair. The light loose waves began to flow as she continued her up and down motions.

"Go behind the tub sicko. I'm not going to look at you." She heard him sigh, followed by a light slapping sound. Mona looked up in the mirror to see his three fingered hand covering his face.

"Mona, get out." He grumbled low. Mona set the brush down.

"Why? Are you afraid I'm going to see your teeny tiny itty bitty-?" Raphael caught on to her next word and cut her off abruptly.

"Why ya gotta put a man down like that? You're as annoying as Mikey, ya know that?" he continued to fight her. It did surprise him that Mona Lisa would try to say that. New York was starting to rub off of her, he could tell. Next, a brown wad of strands hit his body when Mona turned around.

"What man?" her eyebrows twirled as she exaggerated "man". Her hand went palm up, with her dulled claws pointing to the turtle before her. They were so close that they almost grazed his lower pectorals. "All I see is a little boy playing with big toys. What are those things anyways?" Mona pointed down to his belt. Before leaving the sewers, he and his brother picked up their weapons just in case. His sais rested at his sides with handles up and blades rubbing leather. "Forks? They're probably bigger than you too." This time, Raphael wasn't more shocked at her vulgar meanings than the rage she caused a storm inside him. He bit his bottom lip down and clenched his eyes shut, trying his best to keep it in.

"Shut up." He nearly whispered for her only to hear. Raphael sounded like he meant business, but Mona wouldn't let up. She had him.

"Why? Is Raphael getting upset over his fighting forks?" She asked in a whining voice, imitating as if she were talking to a baby.

"I said SHUT UP!" The turtle roared. His words echoed off the sewer walls.

"Raphael! Mona Lisa! Come now!" and elderly voice shouted from his quarters. Both teens turned towards the dojo. From various spots, their turtle roommates peeked their way. Both sighed angrily before walking together into the living room. Mikey shied away when Raphael glared at him when they went through the doorway. Hesitating on the inside, both walked calmly until they saw their elderly caretaker sitting on his elevated platform. From the dim lights, they could make out his cold expression in those beady rat eyes of his. His son approached him, taking a seat on one of the pillows set out. Mona looked down at him and sat down, uncertain if that was what Splinter would want her to do. "What is going on?" their sensei asked sternly.

"I know sensei!" All three turned to see their clown Michelangelo coming in from behind. Sensei nodded, hoping to see if his "special" son would tell the sides of both stories in a fair manner. Instead, he got a theatrical performance. "Raph was like 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum it's been twenty minutes now you done', then Mona was like 'No I ain't! Leave me alone!' then Raph was like 'Heck Naw!' and busted through the bathroom door like the Kool Aid man and shouted 'Oh Yeah!' then Mona was like 'BRUH!' and then they started shouting and arguing that I lost track of what was going on." The young turtles smiled so nicely that it closed his eyes. A small pebble hit his shoulder. He opened his eyes unhappily to see Mona Lisa un-amused and Raphael jostling more small pebbles up and down on his palms.

"Go Michelangelo!" His father ordered.

"But-." Mikey retorted. Honestly, he never gets to see any of his brothers get punished without him and he wanted to stay to enjoy every second of it.

"Now!" Splinter commanded. The shells and bead of Mikey's necklace hung off of his body after her dramatically rolled his head and slumped forward. He headed to their bedroom where everyone else was at so they would not get involved in the events that had taken place and continue readying themselves to visit their human friend.

Splinter reverted back to the adolescents. His eyes grazed over to his newest family addition. Brown hair fell forward, sliding down her face like silk. Even from his old eyes, he could see the sliver of fear hidden behind her windows. Dark lids kept her eyes from directly looking at him. They struggled on whether or not to look at the adult rat. Then, he looked over to his son. He was staring down at his single foot, leaning all his weight on the one lifted knee. All of the turtles did this when their master would discipline them. He kneeled there, waiting for his father's words. In anticipation, he messed with his big green lips. His bottom lip slid down the black scar that split his upper lip in the right corner of his mouth. Splinter did not remember how he got it. Raphael and his brothers claimed that he ran into a pole when they were ten, but they kept a lot of secrets that Splinter was aware of, but would never bring them up.

"You two are very disrespectful to each other." His voice vibrated in his throat. "Raphael, you never yell at a lady. And Mona. I thought Chung I raised you better." Promptly after speaking, both reptiles went at it, simultaneously trying to tell Splinter their side of the story with obvious exaggerations and adding an angelic effect towards them.

"Enough!" He ordered. The two silenced their arguments. "Both of you are grounded."

Mona Lisa groaned dramatically loud, rolling her head and her body for she was in a criss-cross position. Raphael groaned as well, but a lot more subtle and irritated.

"Please Master, it wasn't my fault." The lizard pleaded. Her green knees scratched the floor as she lifted herself up to him. Splinter had seen dogs do the same thing when they wanted something from their owners. She placed her web fingers onto his clothing, intentionally touching his chins, grasping for any symphony the old rat had, but this rat saw it coming.

"You may be the legal age but I am now your new guardian and will listen to me as so." Mona sank back into her place after his reasons. "The terms are no going out tonight. You will both be down here until you make ends meet." A dingy yellow and black cloaked around him as he steadily stood up from his bed. His hand like feet peeked out from under his cloth as he made way to the living room. "Your brothers, your sister and I will be at Miss O'Neil's for the night."

"Please sensei, don't trap me down here with sunshine!" Raphael pleaded. Mona turned abruptly to scold him. He returned the favor by scowling and showing some of his crooked teeth.

"The punishment stands firm. Understand?" Splinter stopped from under the doorway, looking back at the two children.

"Yes Sensei." He answered back discouraged. When Splinter disappeared from the doorway, Raphael stood up to get into the kitchen, leaving Mona Lisa there to think about some of the choices she made that night.

The creaking noise of the sewer hatch squeaked softly as Donatello pulled it towards him to open. On his back, he attached his bike from when he was younger. The old dirt bike was cleaned up just for Angel to enjoy. It was very boy like because of the various stickers and black color, but maybe the girl will appreciate it anyways. Splinter walked behind the couch of the living room. Just as he predicted, his largest son was laying down, staring at the television. The pictures showed people, groups wearing grey and black, spitting into the microphones like rappers. He could never get around why his sons like programs such as this. It seemed silly to him.

"We are leaving. Raphael, please notify Mona of our absence."

"Whatever." His throat threw out so carelessly. His amber eyes continued watching his program until he felt a skinny hand on his arm. He looked up to see his father staring him down. Splinter's touch settled him down. The rat knew his hand was too small to full clutch onto him, but in the back of his head he saw a fifteen year old boy, then the baby he rescued from the sewers.

"Do not underestimate me my son." He warned.

"Yes sensei." Raphael turned back to the bright screen. His father let go of his arm and faded back into the dojo where Donatello waited for him. As if it was a tacit cue to leave, a herd of turtles holding various items filed out of the room and passed through the living room and in front of the TV. Leonardo's big shell stopped in front of the TV, which annoyed his brother greatly. In his arms was an old box Raphael remembered from way back. It was their art box from when they used to draw and color before finding ninjitsu. The cardboard was drilled with holes and creased itself from constant fighting between it and stashing it away.

"Well be back into a couple hours." He said, and then walked off to the dojo. Venus trailed right behind him with cheap, store bought bubble containers in her ribbon belt and hands.

"Please be nice to Mona." She pleaded. The TV was clear for only a moment when Michelangelo came by. The mischievous turtle looked around him, and then leaned in by his brother's head.

"Hey, if she tries to kill you, she still has odor eaters in her bag, or throw a magazine in her face. She loves the cringe stories." He whispered quite loudly for him to hear over the program, and then nodded his head ferociously before exiting. The turtle finally felt a sense of relief when he heard the squeaking door close with everyone within its pipes. Now, he was home alone. Home alone, with sunshine.

"Everybody left?" Mona asked from behind. Raphael sat up from his relaxed position and turned around the couch. There she was, Sunshine coming in from the bathroom with her hair done up. She tried to look directly at him, but still peeved, Raphael turned back to the biggest monitor screen set in the middle up high.

"What was ya first clue?" he grunted. Mona huffed before making her way to the living room. How could she have known? Maybe she failed to notice the newly found silence like Raphael did. It could have been the most obvious thing in the world, but it was still rude.

"Chill Raph. It's not my fault we're stuck down here." She pushed her hair off of her shoulder grouchily. "It was your snapping turtle attitude."

"My what?" A red sphere popped up from the couch from Mona's perspective. The darkness from the outside made the lair dark with only a few lights keeping it bright. His face was a dark shadow, but she knew he wasn't content. "Please tell me you did not say that" he continued to talk as he got up from the couch. Mona happened to cross the room when he stood on his tired, green legs. "'Cause you're the one pickin' fights."

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!" Raphael's face began to soften once he saw Mona's drop. The lizard sighed, looking down. She was obviously trying to hide the slight smile from him, but he saw it all the same. "What are we doing?" she asked with her smile.

"Bein' stupid." He answered back, returning the soft smile she tried to hide, but only the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Mona giggled a little. The feeling of the air seemed to lighten off of their heads once her giggles came to a hush. Raphael nodded his head vaguely, walking away from the mutant girl and towards the dojo. Knowing where he was heading, Mona Lisa turned around and added.

"Hey, I flushed the tub water so it'll be a while till it's filled and heated again." The squishing sound of the leather strapping to him deafened. The turtle stopped himself in his tracks.

"You knew I was going in there!" He whipped around to say. Mona took it by surprise, causing her to fumble with her words.

"I thought that-!" He cut her off quickly.

"Raphael just wants to get in there so I'll just ruin his day. Was that what you're thinkin' sunshine?" He shouted for all of the lair to hear. She couldn't believe that that stupid bathtub was what he was whining about.

"That water was old and dirty. Sorry, I didn't think you enjoyed soakin' in the sweat and dirt all seven of us left in there since yesterday." She tried to reason, but with no sympathy behind her voice. With a gruff sigh, Raphael threw his arm up viciously, cutting Mona off from his view. The gesture raged her insides, but she contained herself. She had to be the adult of this situation. Maybe, it was because she technically was one.

"Fine." He turned away. "I'll get in there later." Mona hastily trailed behind him. Her arms folded behind her back as she leaned forward to catch a glimpse of his face.

"A thank you would be nice." She added. The turtle continued to the couch and sat down with a thud, not even looking at her.

"That's if I appreciated what you did."

"You're unbelievable." Her words were drowned out with the noise of the comedic rappers on the screen. They pranced around the stage, dissing each other, yet getting roars of laughter from the crowd. The giant screen began to glitch out with grey noise.

"Ah, this stupid computer!" Raph shouted. Out of anger, he banged on the wall with his fist with enough power to shake it. Upon hitting it, a small piece of cement seemed to fall out of no where. The lizard lady, who stayed behind the couch by several feet, grew curious to where it came from. "Man." Raphael muttered upon standing. He quickly located the spot to where the piece had fallen. Clumsily, he peeled back the silver tape cocooning the piece and reached up to place it back into the arch. Mona came over to see. She had never seen it before, but now an entire game of connect the dots filled the ceiling. Dancing a ballet, she followed the deep cracks and twirled with them. The entire ceiling was either missing or severely duct taped.

"Whoa. What is wrong with your ceiling?" Mona looked down to meet Raphael. Her head felt light from her spins. "There's more duct tape up there than on your shell." She continued to joke, but Raph kept his usual unpleased look. He seemed to be fighting something inside, but it could have been her head. "Raph, what happened?" He swayed a little from the couch, trying to find the right words. Then, he looked up at her with all seriousness.

"Th' Shredder." He admitted. The turtle waited for a gasp like there would always be when the name was mentioned.

"Who?" She asked carelessly.

"Neva heard of him? It was all over the news!" He exploded with severe enthusiasm.

"I don't get television where I come from."

"No newspapers or nuthin'?" Mona shook her head no.

"Not exactly, but enough with the media." Mona cleared the blankets piled up on the one side of the couch and sat down next to him. "Who is this guy?" The lizard hoped that he was in for some story telling. She truly was interested in the subject. Raph looked at her skeptically to tell if she really cared to learn.

"He's a maniac." He proceeded. "Got a pimped out samurai suit with throwin' swords."

"Hence the name 'Shredder'." She chimed in.

"Yeah, but his real name is Oroku Saki." The girl lit up at the name.

"I've heard of him! Yes, he tried to poison the city and take over with his son. Fortunately the tower got too heavy with the gas and pushed him off the building."

"Well," he shifted side to side. "That ain't the whole story." He added with a sense of pride.

"Really? Care to tell?"

There, Raphael wove a terrifying tale that evolved into two big days. Mona soaked up every word he said as he spoke about the docks and subway, which eventually led to them being caught by their soon-to-be-friend April O'Neil. Then, she began to realize the truth about the Shredder that no news reporter could know, with in depth detail and experience.

"Wow. So April was really the one who defeated the Shredder. It wasn't the tank that pushed him off." Mona added once Raphael ended his story.

"Pretty much."

"Of course you and your brothers did most of the heavy lifting."

"Nicholas, Do you think Kanye, formally known as Yesus, is hitting Kim K better than you did?" The lizard lady looked skeptically at the monitor screen. She completely forgot Raph was still watching his program. A short, dark skinned man asked another light skin the question with an odd, yet comical diction in his voice.

"What are you watching?" She spaced out each word for him to catch. Raphael didn't take his eyes off the screen because it was one of his favorite segments "Plea the fifth'.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." He tried to calm the already laughing crowd. "Before you answer, remember, somebody's watching. First name starts with a 'Mariah', second name starts with a 'Carey'."

"Called 'Wild N Out'. It's a bunch of comedians and A-listers trying to win a belt." Personally, he wanted her to stop talking so he could hear the reaction Nick Cannon would give to the touchy subject.

"I plead the fifth." Cannon and the studio audience blew up in laughter, as well as the viewers back home. It wasn't as roaring as the crowd, but his voice was loud all the same. Mona found the situation funny as well, even though she had no idea who this guy was, but she heard of Mariah Carey before. She sank back into the boxes with her arms folded across her chest and smiled.

"Cool."

"What are you two doing?" Leo asked, forcing the fact that his brother will sarcastically answer such an obvious question. They had come back after three hours at April's after helping her set up for her new friend's arrival. Neither two mutants looked behind them. Their eyes glued on the screen, leaning into every word the rappers spit.

"Watching TV." He stated bluntly, surprising his three brothers a little. Mona, on the other hand, waved her hand vigorously behind her.

"Yeah, shut up." Merging her words together. Venus' eye brows twitched down at her sisters' surprise comment and continued to stab her eyes in the back of Mona's head.

"Now stop all that rhyming, you making me sick, I'm wonderin' what's weaker your albums or your-!" The program bleeped the vulgar word.

"OOOOOO!" they both shouted at the TV hysterically. Watching from behind was enough to see them both smiling. Raphael laughing with a cool smile, allowing his un-liked roommate lean and pat his arm vigorously.

"That was ba-a-a-a-d!" Mona prolonged her words. Her back stuck to the back of the couch again after calming down. Raphael was leaning with his forearms on his knees. He kept his smile and turned his head towards the lizard.

"I can relate." His smile turned smug and Mona playfully glared with her eyebrow cocked.

"Shut up." Next, her hand pushed on his shell lightly. Raphael continued to chuckle; Mona rolled her eyes and planted them back on the TV. In silence, each turtle walked off to do whatever they originally planned to do when going home. They no longer wished to question the mysterious bondage of Raphael and Mona Lisa in a couple hours. The two acknowledged that their siblings left them alone, but failed to hear their guardian watch them from behind. Both watched the TV with laughter and true smiles, honestly enjoying each other's company. That old rat's lips turned up watching his son and adopted daughter play with each other. That and his little plot worked on them. Splinter stood there for some minutes so he could permanently remember a time when both Mona Lisa and Raphael could be in the same room, not trying to claw each other.