Ok kiddies, here's the dealy-o - I haven't really been updating at all recently mainly because I've been hella depressed. I'm doing through a lot of shit right now that I don't want to get into, but just so you know, it's there and I'm not ignoring this for no reason. Along the lines of depression, I've found that writing is something that helps, so I'm trying to find the want to continue this. I wont make any promises I can't keep, but I am trying. Without further ado, chapter 25...

Chapter Twenty Five: Results

Jane awoke to Ninja's incessant kisses showering her face, as was per normal ever since she got the little scamp. Though she really only had herself to blame for being so lenient with the sleeping arrangements.

She'd originally tried to get him to sleep in his own bed (an old couch pillow and blanket), but the first night proved to be much tougher than she'd thought. She'd set up his bed near the foot of hers and tucked him into the blanket, before going to bed herself. It took all of two minutes for the pup to wriggle out of his covers, and fall off of the chair at the end of her bed in an attempt to join her. She sighed and got up, admonishing the ball of fur as she again readied him for sleep - only to have him actually make it onto the chair, and from there her bed. She gave up on keeping him in his own bed after the seventh try. He wriggled his way into her blankets, letting his little nose poke out falling asleep almost immediately. She rolled her eyes but settled in next to him, and cuddled the little furball close before falling asleep herself. That was how Leo had found her the next morning when he'd gone to wake her for their meditation session. He'd been unable to bring himself to wake her, instead taking a picture of the sleeping pair. That shot now sat framed on her dresser and made her smile whenever she looked at it.

"Ok, ok, I'm up." She grumbled, prying the small hound from her face and getting dressed for the day She led the bouncing pup to the door, opening it and allowing him out. He raced out and nearly knocked over Raph in the process.

"Hey! Watch it mutt!" He grouched, teetering on a leg trying to avoid stepping on the small ball of energy before straightening up and looking over at Jane.

"M-Morning." He smiled while turning a lovely shade of pink.

"Good Morning Raph." Jane giggled, blushing a little herself. She hadn't been able to go to sleep for almost an hour after going to bed last night, her mind too full of the bike ride and the broad shoulders she'd rested on.

They had gotten home pretty late, and were been greeted by the sight of Mikey dead to the world on the couch with some forgotten show running on the tv, and her pup half encased by a pizza box on the floor, scavenging for scarps. At the sound of the front door, Ninja jerked his head up and popped the lid off the box to reveal his pizza sauce covered ears and a wagging tail. Jane shook her head a the memory. What else did she expect from asking Mikey to dogsit?

"So, did you get any grief from the guys about being out late?" She asked, reaching down to pick up Ninja as he raced back to her and started yiping for attention.

"Just got up, so I haven't talked ta' Leo yet - not that it matters none, I… had fun." He gave her a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"I had fun too." She smiled at him, before grimacing at the near french kiss the squirming dog in her arms gave her.

"Jeez Louise, can't you wait five minutes?!" She asked in mock anger that quickly turned to a laugh as she was once again assaulted by puppy kisses. She turned to Raph once she'd successfully calmed the pup down.

"Sorry, I gotta take him out before he makes another mess. Could you let Leo know I'll be a bit late?" She playfully glared down at the dog "He likes taking his sweet time recently."
"Let me take him." Raph offered, reaching out.

"You sure? He's all excited to go now, but it'll take him ten minutes to sniff everything and remember what he's supposed to be doing."

"No problem, I ain't got nothin' going on until our your tail training anyhow." He reach over the remaining distance and plucked the furball out of her arms, remembering not to allow it access to his face.

"Well, thanks Raph. Here's his leash and poop bags," She handed them over before rubbing Ninja's face affectionately. "You be good for Raph, ok?" He gave a yip in response and an enthusiastic tail wag. She smiled and turned to Raph, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks again." She said before heading off the the dojo.

Raph just stood there for a bit, staring after her retreating figure, before he was pulled out of his reverie by a certain orange banded brother.

"Awwww… Raphie and Janie, sittin' in a -" He ducked under a punch aimed at his head.

"- Tree, k-i-s-s-" Evaded a kick to his chest.

" - I-n-g!" He narrowly missed the sweeping kick aimed at his legs.

Ninja was going nuts with all the excitement, and seemed to be howling along with Mikey as he sang and jumped around.

"Shut up, Mikey!" Raph fummed, his cheeks still pink. "Oh come on! I know you like her! -" He ducked again, finding it easier to evade his brother the more flustered he got.

"And you two were out pretty late last night…" He let it hang in the air, wiggling his eyebrows as he dodged another kick and ran off to the lab, laughing and singing 'Sitting in a tree' the whole way.

"Stupid Mikey… Doesn't know what he's talking about…" Raph grumbled all the way to the public area of the sewers, letting the Beagle down to snuffle around to his heart's content. It's a good thing no one was around to see that his cheeks were still a deep pink.

Jane and Leo were about thirty minutes into their meditation, when Donnie came crashing into the dojo. Both she and the blue turtle jumped and reached for their weapons.

"Jane! You need to come with me!" Don gasped, though his lab was only across the pond (literally), he was out of breath and sweaty.

"What is it, Don? News on Philip?" Leo asked, darting his eyes over to Jane to see if she reacted poorly to the name. They had learned that he had escaped from the jail a week ago, and no one had heard of him since. As of yet, Jane seemed to be dealing well with the news.

"No, much worse." He didn't give them any time for that to sink in, he grabbed Jane's wrist and pulled her with him at top speed back to his lab, Leo hot on their heels.
Don didn't let go of Jane until they'd reached his desk than housed the three monitors, each displaying something different. One, Jane recognized as the ongoing research Don was doing on her DNA as she often would hover around him for a while after he brought her in for tests. The second screen showed similar charts, but for different people she'd never heard of before. And the Third showed a video chat with a creature she suspected was a "Utrom". She'd never met one of the brain aliens before, only heard stories from the guys. Don turned to the third screen.

"Mortu, I brought her." At his words, Jane stared at the creature that turned to meet her gaze.

"Hello, Miss. Jane, I have heard much of you. I apologize for the role our mutagen has played in your recent troubles." She just continued to stare at him for a moment before finding enough sense to say something.

"Oh… Um… I don't blame you… it was all Stockman and… uh… I mean, you guys helped me get out of that place, so… uh… Thank you?" She floundered.

"It was our pleasure, I only with we'd been quicker in your rescue." His face grew sad and she jumped in to reassure him.

"Oh, no! It's not all that bad, and I've gotten used to my tail!... Well the shedding is a little weird… but I learn to be fine with it! You really helped in getting me out!" She really didn't want this nice, odd looking, alien to feel responsible for what Stockman and Shredder did to her.

"I am glad that your new appearance does not trouble you as much as it might have… but there is something more to Stockman's experiment than we had originally thought. Something that even he couldn't have foreseen as you were the first of his experiments to survive the transformation…" Mortu looked nervously at Donnie for guidance on how to proceed. Jane turned to Donnie and her heart jumped into her throat at the absolutely terrified looked he was giving her.

"... Donnie?... What is it?"