Not long after Raph and his brothers rejoined the retreating group after a polite etiquette lesson to Shredder's men. Apparently they needed to be reminded why it was not nice to chase turtles around. Get your ass beat if ya did.

"Were you able to shake them?" Leonardo, who was pulling rear security for this group with Ty and Thane, asked.

"Had to beat a few of them into submission first." Raph told him. "But yeah, we weren't followed."

"We wouldn't want them sneaking up and disturbing Lotus' beauty sleep." Mikey grinned. "She's gonna need a lot of that if she's going to keep up with 'ol fearless here." Raph didn't know what stunned him more...the fact that his little brother actually said something like that, or the fact that even in this darkness he could see Leo blushing furiously.

"Knock it off." Leo then promptly smacked him on the back of the head.

"Well...it's true." Mikey rubbed his head. "You got a high sex drive."

"Will you quit!" Leo's hand came up again for another one and Mikey scurried off, his chuckling fading behind him.

Leonardo raised an eyeridge at that, a small smile on his face, but remained quiet.

Raph by now had his attention drawn away from the conversation anyway as James fell into step beside him. He was quiet a moment, watching Raph out of the corner of his eye.

"What." Raph finally grumbled at him.

"Soooo... How long has that been going on?"

"How long has what been going on?"

James turned and gave him a level look. "Really. You are going to make me embarrass us both by going there? How long have you been making kissy face with my sister?"

Raph blushed a little at that, if he only knew that it had already passed that stage... "I don't see where that is any of your business!"

"It is when it's my sister!" He flared back.

Leo turned at the noise, eyeridge raised questioningly. Lord...they both did that a lot Raph noticed. Another similarity between the two turtle leaders. Raph just waved a hand at him to let him know he could handle this. "Why? Does it bother you that she might care for someone like...me?"

"Of course not you dipshit." Raph growled a little at that but James ignored him. He even grabbed Raph's arm and turned him to face James fully as they paused for a moment. "But I do know you have a serious temper problem my friend. I won't allow her to get hurt because you can't control your impulses."

Raph blinked at that. "James... I would never hurt her." He said quietly. "She's the only one I never could hurt." He smiled as he remembered the encounter in their home...when she had made him run into the wall. "Even if I tried."

James chuckled himself then. "She told me about that."

Raph groaned. "Does she keep anything quiet?"

"Obviously she does, because I never had a fucking clue about you two."

The big turtle let out a sigh then. "Because it didn't feel right to me to let you guys know."

"Oh?" James said as they began to follow the others again.

"I think we all caught on to something." Raph began to explain to him. "Something...brewing in our little group."

"You mean the fact that Lotus has been mooning over your brother and he never noticed?"

"Good, I wasn't the only one who saw that. It's not an issue anymore. He had his eyes rudely awakened to it after what happened."

"And you didn't feel like spilling the beans between you two because you didn't want to add to to Lotus' issue."

"Something like that...yeah. That and with everything that's going on, it just wasn't the right time."

"But you thought it was the right time to start trying out sucky lips?"

Raph spluttered at that while James just laughed.

He had calmed himself again by the time they reached the other turtle's home. But someone else was starting to get fired up he noticed. The rest of the ninjas followed Vicky through the portal, Holly was in an argument with Leo. "I want to see her!"

"You will leave her alone! She's sleeping and I don't want you waking her up!"

"I don't care if she's in a damn coma! I want to see her!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I said no!"

"And I don't give a fuck!"

"Well this is going nowhere in a hurry." Donnie sighed.

"Both of you shut the hell up before you wake her up!" Donatello yelled to be heard over both of them. "Or I'll smack you both with my crutch!"

Holly looked at him a moment, then looked at Raphael. "I thought you were supposed to be the hot head."

"I am. But he gets a little excited where his patients are concerned."

"You don't seem so bad to me." She said then as she looked him over, then looked at Raph. "Creepy how much you two look alike."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Raphael replied.

"Just make sure you keep that mask on, or she might get confused and start kissing the wrong one." James grinned.

It was deathly still in that room as both Holly and Raph began to blush. Leo's eyeridge shot up again, Donnie stared at them...and Mikey finally bust out laughing.

"Trust a Raph to go for the hot argumentative one." Michelangelo grinned.

"Shut up you." Raphael told him.

"She's a bit shorter that Cris though. Do you have to get her a step ladder to kiss her?"

"Nah." Thane then grinned. "Just give her quick pecks as she hops up and down."

Holly's face was beet red by now, and Raph wasn't much better.

"Better watch it." Ari told him as she walked up. "Short doesn't always mean incapable."

"Pfft. Like she could do anything. She can barely spit over a smurf."

Ari just looked up at him. Raph noticed she wasn't much taller than Holly actually. Then quick as a flash she dropped down into a crouch, spun her leg around and swiped her cousin's out from under him. Then she rolled ontop of him and wrapped her three sectioned staff around his neck. He didn't move, he knew if he tried to throw her off that weapon would tighten around his neck. "I'm short too, but I can still whoop your butt."

"Oh, snap..." Ty grinned from where he watched nearby.

"Knock it off." Leonardo said then. "Ari, get off of your cousin."

She did as she was told, then glared at her father. "You want to make any more cracks about short folks? Do it. Just remember I know where you sleep at night. And I know all your prank ideas plus some. Rag on her again and you'll find your nunchucks superglued to your face." Michelangelo winced a little at that.

"Wow...do the kids run the place now?" Casey asked as she stormed away.

"Only when they are right." Leonardo told him. "We taught them to fight for what they believe in, and that may include their parents if they are in the wrong." He was watching Ty as he said that.

Ari had then stormed up to Leo. "I'm going to take her to see Lotus. She's obviously worried about her and you've been hogging her up since you got here. Don't like it... I know where you sleep too." Then she took Holly's hand and guided her down the hallway where the bedrooms were, Leo looking after them both a little baffled at what just happened. Then he just shook his head and followed Vicky and the ninjas through the lab and into the portal.

"Nice girl you got there." Raphael then said quietly next to him as he watched Holly go. "She's got spunk. I like spunk."

Raph looked at Raphael with amusement. "I noticed yours is a bit feisty too."

"She threw shit at you huh?"

"Yup."

"Cursing like a sailor the whole time?"

"Pretty much."

"Made peace with her?"

That one stunned him into silence as the other turtle watched with his arms crossed. "I...hope I did. I tried..."

"Did she hit you after you did?"

"Well...no."

"Then you got through to her. I know you got through to me. Ease your mind, she won't hold it against you anymore, I know I don't." Then he turned and walked towards the kitchen. Leaving Raph staring back at him with gratitude.

.

.

Leo looked out in wonder out across the property once the ninjas had all been settled in. The quiet, simple beauty of this place touched him somewhat as the sun began to rise. It was pretty much open fields, but had enough trees scattered around to hide them from prying eyes. His eyes wandered to the goats, now temporary homeless since they had all been shooed out of the barn. They didn't seem to care though as they happily grazed in the early morning light. A large horse also was out grazing, his black tail flicking into the air every once in awhile.

"Tell everyone to stay away from him." Vicky said as she joined him after she came out of the barn. "That's Beast, Cris' horse. He's old, but he's still a handful. Cris and my dad are pretty much the only ones who can safely get near him." Then she smiled. "And the teens, he'll let them near him, especially Thane."

"Interesting name choice."

"Interesting horse." She smiled back.

"I envy you." He then quietly said as he looked out. "To be able to live out here like this."

"It's nice." She agreed. "No nosy neighbors really. And it gives the teens a chance to come out in the open without having to hide. Something they don't really get to do over there."

"It's not necessary a good thing to be able to walk openly down the streets." He replied. "I had that privilege, but didn't like the way I earned it."

"Funny how things work out." She mused. "One group hides their whole lives because the world won't accept them, the other hides because they don't accept the world. Both both end up in the sewers." She chuckled. "That is one thing that will never change I guess, now matter how the Ninja Turtles came to be."

One of the goats had wandered up to them, her mouth chewing as she stopped in front of them, then looked up at Leo. "Baaa."

He looked curiously down at it, not really having seen one up close before and she butted her head against his leg gently. "Baaa."

"What does it want?" He asked Vicky confused as she butted her head against him again.

Vicky was chuckling again. "I'll bet you a turn at cleaning Mikey's cooking mess you got food stashed in your clothes somewhere." She looked down at the goat. "Ain't that right Mama Goat?"

"Baaa."

Leo smiled as he reached into a pouch and pulled out some trail mix he had almost forgotten about. "May I?"

"Go ahead. She won't leave you alone until you do. Dad has spoiled her rotten."

Leo knelt down and poured some into his hand and held it out to the brown creature, who quickly began to eat it. As she did, he reached out his other hand and gently stroked the rough coat. He was actually a little awed over this silly thing that nudged him for more. He obliged and poured some more in his hand. This was so different than hiding and fighting. Here was a place they could all relax and enjoy little moments like this. He had never before even been in a location like this, not having to fear or worry. He could just...be. He would be grateful for the experience. He emptied the last of the trail mix in his hand and fed it to the goat, still stroking her neck. Once done she began to nudge him again. "Baaa."

"I'm sorry." He smiled at her. "I don't have anymore."

She sniffed and butted a couple more times before she turned with a huff and walked off, flicking her tail. Leo felt oddly disappointed at that. Vicky caught the look and smiled a gentle smile at him. "Want to help me feed them?"

"Yes. If you don't mind..."

"Of course not. It's that time of day anyway. Come on."

Leo looked out again over the calm morning before he followed her. The calm before the storm he knew was coming.