~ Hi there. Daydream, that information you e-mailed me with is really helpful, wait until you see what is in the stars for you…well that you are to be saved from. None of the situations are really funny, if they really happened I can only imagine that they would be horrifying. Two more authors to go!
The first thing that the turtles noticed was the sound of rushing water. They turned around seeing the biggest waterfall that sat on the US and Canadian border.
"That's Niagara Falls," Donatello said a voice filled with awe.
"Is that where the guy got in a barrel and went over the sides," Michelangelo asked.
"There's quiet a few people who went over those falls, actually," Donatello said as they all walked up to the gates looking down at the Maid of the Mist below. "One guy by the name of George Stathakis went over in 1930 and got caught behind the falls for fourteen hours. He didn't survive but his pet turtle Sonny Boy did."
"Leave it to a turtle to live through this," Raphael said gesturing to the falls. Leonardo looked around.
"Are we on the Canadian side or the US side," he wondered aloud.
"Did you get turned around on the Maid of the Mist?" The turtles turned to see a girl standing next to them leaning on the rail. She had brown hair and a shirt that said, I love Brian, on it.
"Yeah, just forgot where we where," Michelangelo said.
"Well, if you get on the US side, you would also get off on the US side," The girl said. "So you're still on the US side." The turtles nodded then felt a chilly breeze go through the air. The girl shivered.
"Hey I'm Mikey," Michelangelo offered his hand to the girl. She shook it and smiled.
"I'm Leslie," she replied.
"It's getting cold and late out here, would you like us to walk you back to your place, where you're staying?" Leonardo offered. Leslie tilted her head.
"How did you know I was a tourist?"
"Guessed," Donatello put in. Leslie looked over to Raphael then to the rest of the guys.
"Okay, you can walk me back," Leslie said. As they walked she ended up being next to Raphael. The hotel was ahead.
"Are you always this quiet?" Leslie asked.
"No," Raphael said. "Sometimes I can be a smart mouth." Leslie smiled at this and went to open the door. A guy coming out ran into her, then running past her. Raphael caught Leslie saving her from a pavement kiss in the face, when she noticed something.
"That guy grabbed my purse" Leslie exclaimed. Leonardo and Raphael went running after the guy at amazing speed while Michelangelo and Donatello took Leslie inside. The two running turtles found the guy around the corner opening the purse.
"I don't think that belongs to you," Raphael said. The guy dropped the purse in surprise and smiled.
"Oh are you boys going to take it from me?" The thief snarled. Both turtles drew their weapons which then became visible to the thief. Seeing the katana's and Raphael's sai's he started to back up.
"Never mind you can have it, in fact." The thief emptied his pockets of many wads of bills that he had. "Take it all!" Then turned to run away. Leonardo and Raphael picked up the purse and counted about three hundred dollars and some change on the ground.
"Think some of this money might be Leslie's?" Leonardo asked.
"We'll ask her to check her purse when we give it back to her," Raphael said shrugging. Back at the hotel, Donatello got Leslie a cup of hot chocolate as they waited for the guys to get back. When they walked in Raphael handed Leslie the purse and told her to check it. Once she told them everything was there, Leslie grabbed Raphael in a hug.
"Thank you so much," Leslie said.
"Hey I helped too," Leonardo put in. Leslie let go of Raphael and gave Leonardo a hug as well.
"If you guys want to visit, I'm in room 322," Leslie said as she walked away. Then she turned around talking to the guys as she walked backwards. "Some friends of mine are going to be here in a day or two, so be sure to drop by." The turtles nodded and looked outside after Leslie got into the elevator. The sky was beginning to darken.
"Should we stay here tonight?" Donatello asked.
"Might as well if there's room," Leonardo said.
"Can we order pizza?" Michelangelo asked. They all laughed and nodded sure. Leonardo and Donatello went up to the counter to get a room. After talking with the man at the counter they came back and gave Raphael and Michelangelo a key.
"We are in room 318," Raphael said, "That's real close to Leslie." Getting into the elevator they got out and walked past room 322, which was blaring backstreet boys music. At room 318, they all went in and looked around. There was a view of the waterfall from here and two queen sized beds. A phone sat on the night stands which Michelangelo went over to and picked up.
"What are you doing, Mikey?" Donatello asked.
"Ordering some pizza's," Michelangelo smiled back. "Hi yeah, I want four large pizza's…" Raphael trailed Michelangelo's voice out as he went to the window looking over the falls. He was beginning to have doubts about this mission they were on and even though it was nice getting out of Manhattan and being able to mingle with people, he missed the lair. He missed Master Splinter and April and wondered how they were doing.
A hand on his shoulder distracted him from his thoughts and he looked at his brother Leonardo. His brother gave him a slight smile and Raphael smiled back. Leonardo knew what Raphael was thinking but knew better at this point to put it into words. Turning from the window Raphael walked to the door.
"Where you going Raph?" Leonardo asked.
"A walk, I can't just sit still, you know me," Raphael said.
"But what about the pizza's," Michelangelo asked.
"Save me one," Raphael yelled over his shoulder.
"No guarantee's," Michelangelo yelled back. Smiling as he shut the door Raphael looked at 322 as he pasted it. Backstreet boys was still playing but now the music was turned down and he could hear Leslie talking on the phone.
"Yeah, everything is here," Leslie paused as the other person spoke. "I know, too bad the others could come, but it will be you, me, Natalie, Emma, and Hannah." Another pause then Leslie laughed. "Yeah, we'll make Natalie take the floor since she's the oldest!" Raphael shook his head and walked on not believing that the girls they helped so far knew each other. Going downstairs there was a pool that he passed and a hot tub.
"That I'll have to try before we leave," Raphael said and headed out to the falls. Even from where he stood you could feel the spray of the water as it cascaded 180 feet below. Lights were on turning the water into various shades of blue, red and purple. If Raphael leaned far enough he could even see orange. Smiling at this Raphael took a deep breath and was startled when he felt a push on his back. Turning Raphael saw that it was the same thief who stole Leslie's purse.
"What do you want," Raphael said annoyed. "I don't have any purses for you to steal."
"No, but me and my boys are not too happy about what you did earlier, so it's payback time." The thief cracked his knuckles as two more guys came into view. They were young, not very impressive looking.
"Well bring it on," Raphael crouched into a fighting position. The first thief was ready to charge when he felt something hit him on the back of the head and he slumped down unconscious. The other two turned and Raphael saw that it was Leslie who hit the thief. As the other two advanced her, Raphael walked up behind them and knocked their heads together. They fell to the ground and Raphael stepped over them.
"What do you have in there, bricks," Raphael asked pointing to Leslie's purse.
"Only recently," she smiled. "I saw them going to attack you so I thought I'd try to repay you for earlier." Raphael smiled then heard the guys on the ground groaning. Putting an arm around Leslie he led her away from them back to the hotel. Going back to their rooms Raphael paused as Leslie stopped to go into hers.
"Are you here alone?" Raphael asked. Leslie nodded. "Well, we have some pizza if you want to join us for a little." Leslie paused as she considered.
"Well seeming that you saved me twice, I think I can trust you," Leslie said.
"Well thanks so much," Raphael said.
"Do I detect sarcasm?"
"Nah, just my nature," Raphael smiled. Leslie laughed and followed Raphael into his room. Three empty pizza boxes were in a corner and Michelangelo was just getting ready to open the forth one. "Mikey that's mine!" Raphael yelled making Michelangelo jump.
"Chill dude, just making sure it's still warm," then Michelangelo saw Leslie. "Hey there, get bored?" Leslie shrugged.
"No, well, yeah. And Raph invited me, you don't mind do you?" Leslie asked. They shook their heads no and Leslie sat on the edge of one of the beds.
"So what are you here for?" Donatello asked.
"Well some friends and I are getting together here, just because," Leslie said. "Only a few can make it, for some reason the others can't come and we're having a hard time getting a hold of some people." Donatello went to bed followed shortly by Leonardo. There was a couch that Raphael and Leslie sat on as Michelangelo sat on the floor. A few hours later, Leslie's eyes started to droop and they offered to let her stay in with them so she wouldn't have to be alone. Leslie accepted and fell asleep as Raphael took the blanket from the bed Michelangelo and him would share putting it over Leslie. Michelangelo gestured for Raphael to follow him outside where they looked over to the falls.
"You've change Raph," Michelangelo said.
"What do you mean?"
"We've all changed," Michelangelo said. "Leonardo is starting to lighten up a bit, Donatello isn't as shy, I'm a little more serious and you are getting friendlier." Raphael looked at his brother for a moment realizing that he's right.
"But do you have any doubts about our mission?" Michelangelo continued. "I mean yeah we're saving these girls but what about the other people that were hurt before them?"
"I don't know Mikey," Raphael said. "I think that the girls all know each other. Michelangelo looked at his brother. "Remember how Hannah had those e-mails from Natalie and Emma and Rashel?" Michelangelo shook his head. "Oh, yeah you were sleeping. She had e-mails from them then the computer went kaput. Well, it seems that Leslie is expecting those girls to join her here."
"No way!" Michelangelo exclaimed. Raphael nodded. "Wow," was all Michelangelo could say. "Think we'll ever see them again?"
"I actually hope so," Raphael said. "Come one let's get some sleep," and both brothers went to bed. In the morning Leonardo waited until ten to wake the others. He found Donatello already in the shower and Raphael was on the floor next to Michelangelo on the bed. Once he got them up, Michelangelo ordered some room service while Raphael woke Leslie. In the living room Leslie was dreaming and had a sweat broken out on her forehead.
"Leslie?" Raphael said quietly. She jerked her head in response squinching her eyes at something in the dream. "Leslie, it's me Raph." With a gasp Leslie's eyes snapped open looking around. Raphael grabbed her arms to steady her until her breathing calmed and she realized where she was. "What sis you dream about?"
"That I was falling," Leslie said. "And it was a long, long way down." Room service came and everyone had breakfast. Leslie wanted to go to her room to change and shower.
"Wouldn't you shower first then change?" Michelangelo asked with a smile.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Leslie smiled back. "I'll be going back to the falls, maybe take an early ride on the Maid of the Mist before my friends get here today." Leslie had a grin on. "You'll love them, there'll be four more of us and were making Natalie sleep on the floor." Donatello and Leonardo's head shot up hearing Natalie's name.
"Natalie?" Leonardo questioned.
"Yeah," Leslie laughed not realizing that was recognition on their faces. "She's the oldest. Well see you down there." Once Leslie closed the door behind her Donatello and Leonardo burst into a talk, until Raphael and Michelangelo explained what they had discovered. They were quiet for a minute then decided to be down at the falls before Leslie. They were amazed to see that she was already a head of them almost to the rail. She leaned looking around when a commotion got her attention. Some guys were getting really rough into a fight pushing each other back and forth. Leslie tried to edge away but people were crowding in to see what was going on. The turtles sped up their step to try to get there to stop the fight when an arm caught Leslie pushing her over the rail.
"Leslie!" Raphael screamed and rushed over the rail. Jumping over he quickly pulled his hook and string out flipping it out to catch the rail. Leslie watched the water rushing towards her and remembered her dream. Shutting her eyes not able to scream no more tears squeezed out as she thought she was going to… be caught in some one's arms. As both bodies were jerked to a halt Leslie saw that Raphael was holding her.
"Raphael," Leslie whispered. "Am I dead?"
"No Leslie, I got a hold of you," Raphael said then glanced up. "Now my brothers will pull us up."
"But if I am not dead, why do you look like a turtle with a red mask?" Raphael smiled a small smile.
"Because this is my true face," Raphael said as they were slowly lifted. "My brothers and I were sent here to help you and your friends that will be here." Leslie wasn't able to say anything else but held on tight to Raphael as they were lifted above the rail. It took a few minutes but she finally let go and they went in to the hotel. Taking Leslie to her room she sat down while Leonardo got her a cup of water. Raphael was sitting next to her patting her back.
"That was my dream," Leslie said.
"The nightmare that you were having?" Raphael asked. Leslie nodded.
"Are you going to be okay?" Donatello asked.
"Oh, yeah I'll just be forever afraid of heights now," Leslie said with a small laugh.
"Good, that you're okay," Leonardo said. "Because we have to go."
"Oh, no please stay." Leslie said getting up. Raphael walked over to his brothers joining hands. "You're all turtles." Leslie whispered.
"You're guardian turtles," Michelangelo smiled to her. The door opened with Emma, Hannah, Rashel and Natalie walking in.
"Hi Leslie, we oh my God!" Emma paused in her steps the girls all looked at the turtles.
"Hi girls," The turtles chorused then disappeared in a flash. Spots dancing in their eyes now, Emma went over to Leslie.
"Are you okay what happened?"
"They saved me," Leslie said. "You guys will not believe how but, oh Natalie!" Natalie came up sitting on the couch. "You get to sleep on the couch."
"What! Why me?" Natalie asked.
"You're the oldest." Natalie faked horror, then the girls turned their attention to Leslie.
"Tell us what happened," Hannah asked.