A/N: Show 'em how it's done, Raph. Even a blind ninja is a force to be reckoned with. And yet he's no match for a stubborn woman. ;)

Chapter 21 -Escape-
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"You… you can't see?" Ann felt a chill. Instinctively she gripped his arm tighter.

"Yeah," said Raphael. Ann felt him quiver under her hand. She realized with a shock that her vision was clearer now. She could make out his features, standing close to him.

"Ok."

He turned toward her. "Dat's it? Just… 'ok'?"

"Well, what do you want me to do? Faint?" Ann squeezed his arm. "Raphael…"

"Yeah?"

"I… I should tell you something, too."

"What?" His voice was tense, strung tight with tension.

"I… I was here for surgery. I… I'm getting my sight back."

"Do ya… do ya mean ya can… can see?"

"A little," said Ann. She felt his muscles, hard and tense, under her hand.

"How…"

"Doctor Stulir… Raphael, it doesn't matter."

"How well can ya see?"

"Not so good. Colors, shapes. It's getting a little better."

"Ok."

"That's it?" asked Ann, deadpan. "Just 'ok'?"

Raphael chuckled. "Let's get outta here," he said softly.

"I'm with you."

They moved together toward the door. "We used ta train blindfolded," he told her. "Don't worry, Ann. I'll get ya out."

"Ok."

She felt his arm quiver and heard a faint chuckle rumble in his chest.

Suddenly this doesn't seem so frightening, she thought. I really do feel safer with him around.

They made their way carefully to the door. Raphael felt for the knob. Ann hesitated an instant before taking his hand in her own and guiding it to the knob.

"T'anks."

He opened the door. Ann strained to listen, but the hall was silent. They moved carefully back the way Ann had come.

"Da door is down here," whispered Raph. "I came in through da roof, but it's rigged wit' traps."

"You came in through the…"

"Yeah. Down a vent," he said softly.

Ann started, hearing familiar rubber soles on the tile floor.

She squeezed Raphael's hand. "It's that nurse," she hissed.

"In here," he answered, pulling her toward a door. Ann grabbed the knob, opening the door for him. Raph resisted her for an instant before allowing her to steer him with gentle pressure on his arm. She saw his face move but couldn't tell if he was scowling.

"Dis is da room they had da dogs in," said Raph softly.

"How do you know?" asked Ann, looking around. Her vision was improving. She could make out the shapes of kennels lined up on one wall.

"It stinks," said Raphael.

The disinfectant, thought Ann. He remembers the odor.

She felt Raphael shiver. "I got 'em out," he said. "I got 'em all out. Bailey, too."

"I know. He came home," she told him. "Thank you."

"Yer welcome," said Raph gruffly.

Ann moved across the room, exploring.

"What're ya doin'?" asked Raphael.

"Looking for anything that might help us," replied Ann. "Hey, what's this?"

"I dunno," growled Raph.

Ann shook her head. Of course. He can't see. "They look like… weapons of some kind," she said aloud. "Like… daggers, but… but with three points."

"Where?" Raphael's voice shook. He turned toward her.

"Here." She moved across the room, setting them gently into his hands.

Close to him, she could see his expression. He was smiling. He spun the forked weapons on his wrists. Ann's eyes widened.

"Wow."

Raphael chuckled. "Com'on. Let's get outta here," he said.

Ann stared. His voice sounded different, not so lost. He sounded like the turtle she'd met in the park, confident, tough, able to take on any challenge.

"Wow," she said again.

She moved quietly to the door. "Come on," she whispered. Raphael followed her, the weapons gripped firmly in his hands. Ann pressed her ear to the door. The hall was silent. Slowly, cautiously, she pushed the door open. She reached for Raphael's hand, grasping his wrist. He let her lead him forward, down the hall again.

"Ann, yer gonna hafta let go of my arm," he whispered gruffly.

"Ok, but how will you follow me?" she asked.

"I'll manage."

Ann gave up the contact reluctantly. She moved forward cautiously. Raphael followed her. She sped up experimentally, darting forward about five feet. Raph shadowed her every move. She turned to face him.

"How are you doing that?" she hissed.

"I tol' ya, we trained blindfolded." He was smirking. "I can hear yer shoes on da floor."

"Ok," said Ann with a grin. She edged forward, toward the next door. Before she could reach it, the door swung open. A woman came out, carrying a syringe and a clipboard. She turned and her eyes went wide.

"Miss Peters!"

Ann shivered. "It's the nurse," she said to Raphael. "Pichette."

He moved so fast, all Ann saw was a blur. Suddenly, Raphael was standing behind the young nurse, his blade pressed to her throat. The syringe and clipboard clattered to the floor.

"Yer gonna be real quiet," he growled. "An' yer gonna lead us outta here."

"Please…" whimpered the woman, shivering. Ann saw without pity that her eyes were wide with fear. "I can't. Doctor Stulir will kill me."

"Ya'll have a better chance wit' him," said Raph gruffly, pressing the blade tighter against her neck.

Ann watched, fascinated in spite of herself, as the woman swallowed. The faint trickle of red that slipped down her neck made Ann catch her breath.

Oh… I didn't know blood was such a beautiful color.

"Raphael, wait," she heard herself saying before she realized she was going to speak. "Don't hurt her." She moved forward, touching his arm.

A feral growl sounded low in Raphael's throat. Nurse Pichette let out a little squeak and closed her eyes. Ann saw Raphael move his blade slightly away from the woman's throat.

He can't tell he cut her, thought Ann with a shock.

"What'll it be? I ain't got all night," said Raphael gruffly, giving the woman a little shake.

"All right!" gasped the nurse. "The exit is the third door to the right. You'll never get out…" She never finished the sentence. The handle of Raphael's weapon came against the side of her head with a thump and she crumpled to the floor.

Ann gasped.

"Help me get 'er inta a room," said Raphael.

Ann grabbed the woman under her arms. "I know just the place," she said with a grin.

In under five minutes, Nurse Pichette was lying on Ann's own bed, the wrist restraints wrapped firmly around her arms. Ann smiled with satisfaction as she caught the edge of Raphael's shell.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's get out of here."

Raphael grinned and Ann caught her breath. Her vision was clear now. She could see his dark green skin, the way his muscles rippled in his arms, the dark-caramel color of his shell. If not for the situation they were in, she felt she could have been content to just look at him, and nothing else, for hours on end.

Together they moved down the hall. They were nearly to the exit when there was a shout and the sound of running feet. Ann turned in time to see a young man running toward them.

"Hey! Hey, you!" he shouted.

Raphael turned with a growl, taking a fighting stance. Ann moved instinctively to shield him as the man ran toward them. Raphael moved forward so quickly, there was no time for her to get out of the way. He brushed her aside, pausing for only a moment when she bounced off his plastron and stumbled.

The next thing Ann knew, the young man was lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Ann? Ann, where are ya? Are ya all right?" Raphael's voice rose with panic.

"I'm right here. I'm fine," Ann reassured him. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing his wrist, avoiding the blade still clutched in his hand.

"I t'ought I hit ya," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

"I shouldn't have gotten in your way," she told him. "I didn't realize… Raphael, you're amazing."

"Yeah, well…" he reached for the door. "Let's get outta here 'fore anyone else realizes we're missin'."

"Good idea."

The pair hurried through the door and out into the alley.

Shouts echoed in the lab, muffled through the door. Raph grabbed Ann's hand.

"Can ya find yer way home from here?" he asked gruffly.

"Yes, but…"

"Run," he said, giving her a little shove. "Go on, save yerself." He turned back to face the door, pressing his shell against the alley wall, holding his forked weapons up in front.

"No! No, Raphael, I'm not leaving without you," said Ann firmly. She stood beside him, keeping her hand on his arm and prepared to defend herself.

"What? No, Ann, ya gotta get outta here!"

"Not without you!"

Raph swore vividly. "Fine," he growled. "Then we gotta run fer it. You'll hafta lead."

"Come on," said Ann, grabbing his wrist in an iron grip. She ran down the sidewalk, sticking to the shadows as much as she could. The shouts were louder behind them as their pursuers poured out into the alley.

"Turn right," she panted. "And watch the curb!"

Raphael kept up with her nimbly, only stumbling once over a bit of broken pavement.

"Where're we at?" he asked, sounding hardly winded though she was running at full speed.

"We're just coming into Central Park," she answered. "Try to stay behind me so I don't lead you into a tree or something."

"Ok," his gruff answer sounded disgruntled, but she didn't have time to stop and discuss strategy. Finally Ann pulled him into a cluster of bushes. She strained to listen, but didn't hear anyone following them.

"I think we've lost them," she panted, clutching his arm. Ann doubled over, trying to catch her breath.

"Take slow breaths in through yer nose," advised Raph. "It'll get easier in a minute."

Ann took his advice. She was surprised to find her breathing slowing back to normal. "Thanks," she said.

Raphael nodded, sinking down with his shell resting against a small tree. He bent his knees up and rested his forehead on them, crossing his arms so that his sai hung down to the sides.

"Raphael? Are you… are you… ok?" asked Ann.

He didn't look up. "No."

"What now?" she asked.

"Ya… ya can go home," he said gruffly. "I'll be ok."

"What? No! I'm not leaving you," she insisted.

"Look, Ann, I… I appreciate what ya done back there, I do. But ya don't hafta worry about me," he said, finally raising his head. "It sounds like ya got yer eyes back, an' dat's great an' all, but ya can't help me, ok?"

"Raphael, I'm not abandoning you here like this. Not after everything you've done for me. No. You're coming home with me."

"Ann…"

"Come on. Let's get out of here. It'll be daylight soon. You can't stay here."

"Ann, I… Ya don't gotta…"

"I want to. Come on."

"I don't want yer charity!" he snapped, turning his head as if he would glare at her.

"Who says it's charity?" she shot back. "Do you really think my apartment's totally safe? What'm I supposed to do if Stulir comes looking for me? Raphael… I need you. We… we kind of need each other. Please."

"Well… when ya put it dat way… mebbe I can come for a little while."

"Can you call your family from there? They must be worried sick about you," said Ann. She saw Raphael wince. His hand strayed up to touch the gauze wrapped around his head.

"I… I can't go home," he whispered.

"What? Why not?"

"I just… I can't." he shook his head. "I can't face 'em. Not like dis."

"Raphael…"

"Let's get outta here," he interrupted.

Ann took the hint. He didn't want to talk about it.

"Come on," she said, laying her hand on his arm. She felt him tense, as if he'd pull away, but he let her keep his arm. Cautiously, she led him out of the park, onto the deserted street. Raph was shivering with tension, his muscles rock-hard under her hand.

Quickly, she made her way out of the park and slipped across the street, into the alley that led to her back door. Ann fumbled with the lock, eternally grateful her keys were still in her pocket and led the turtle up the stairs to her familiar apartment.

She hustled him inside. Raphael stood inside the door as if he were uncertain.

"What?" she asked, locking the door carefully behind them.

"I… where's da furniture?" asked Raphael. "I don't wanna bang inta stuff."

"There's a chair right next to you on the right. About three large steps forward is the couch," said Ann.

Raphael moved forward, holding out his hands. He crossed the distance in two steps, and grunted when his plastron bumped the back of the couch.

"Ok, sorry. Your steps are bigger than mine. I'll keep that in mind," said Ann. "Listen, sit down. I'll make us some coffee. I think we could both use it, right?"

"Sure," grumbled Raphael. Carefully, feeling his way, he climbed over the back of the couch and settled on the cushions, leaning back to let his head rest against the back of the couch.

Ann hurried to assemble the coffee, marveling at each tiny task. The filters were so white, the coffee such a fascinating shade of brown. Even the water sparkled with little prisms of color. She fetched cups from the cupboard. For a long moment, she held the mugs in her hands, her eyes filling with tears.

Yellow, she thought. I never knew what color they were.

She set the cups down on the counter, turning back to the living room as she waited for the coffee to brew.

She heard a muffled sniffing from the direction of the couch and made her way over.

"Raphael?" She came around to sit down beside him. He flinched, jerking away. "Did Stulir… do you know what he did to your eyes?"

"He said he was cuttin' da nerve," said Raphael, his voice rough. "An' somet'in about micro-surgery fer reattachin' dem."

"Well, if he did the same micro-surgery he did on my eyes, your vision should return within a few hours," said Ann quietly.

Raphael's head snapped around as if he'd look at her. "Ya… ya mean I might be able ta… ta see?"

"Well, let's take this gauze off and find out," said Ann softly. She reached up, touching the side of Raphael's head. He flinched, but let her unwind the gauze.

A/N: Yes. Yes, I did leave off there. heh