Author's Note:  Hey everyone!  I'm finally back!  I'm so incredibly sorry—really—for the horribly long wait!  But sss and I were both having a really hard time with this, and then I got captured by the ninja turtles because I wasn't writing fast enough and had to be rescued from Splinter—he's my hero!—and then, uh, I had to escape the wrath of Splinter (the author, heh heh) who is probably still out to kill me along with everyone else for not getting this part out soon enough.  :o)  But don't worry, the cliffhanger is nicer, since I gave you guys a really nasty one last time and since the next one is gonna be really mean!  And this chapter is also kinda long.  *grin*  And yes, I am evil.  I love it.  Muahahaha.  But thank you so much for the reviews!  I love them, and I hope they keep coming!  Enjoy!

*Chapter Four*

Michaelangelo:

I walked through the sewers, listening to the familiar dripping and trickling of water as it ran through the tunnels.  The air was cool and wet, like it always was.  The dampness clung to my skin in tiny beads of water that might have been mistaken for a thin layer of sweat if I were jogging.  But I wasn't jogging.  In fact, I was walking a lot slower than I usually did.  If I didn't know my way around the sewers so well, I would probably be lost because I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.  Deep in thought, I was barely conscious enough to keep from walking into walls.

I was still trying to get over the whiplash from how fast everything had happened in the past twelve hours.  In one night, I felt like I had experienced more than I had in the past eighteen years.  The only other event that even came close to claiming that was when Leo had almost killed Raph when he threw him against the wall of the farmhouse—hard— in a rare and unexpected fit of rage.  That was two years ago, and I figured it'd probably scar me for life. 

But even that was nothing compared to her.  I knew I'd never forget what I'd felt with her, and I prayed it wouldn't be the last time I ever felt it.  I had to see her again.  But before I did that, I had to figure out what the hell I was going to tell everyone.  Splinter was going to have my ass, and I knew it.  I smiled involuntarily as I pictured her, and realized I didn't care if he hung me from the gallows.  It was worth it.  It was worth anything.  But I had to tell something to Splinter.  Because he would find out eventually, even if I lied to him.

Okay, Mikey, think logic.  Why did you do it? 

Concern, I answered myself.  I was worried about leaving her alone.

The answering sound in my mind was like the buzzer in a game show when the person's answer was wrong.  I laughed quietly, amused.  I might get away with lying to other people, but it was kinda hard to lie to myself.  It wasn't just concern, and I knew it.  Those guys weren't going to be showing their sorry asses around her apartment ever again.  Fear wasn't easily forgotten.  They'd probably remember my face for the rest of their pitiful lives. 

No, I didn't stay there because of them.  It was because of her, and there was no getting around that so I might as well just admit it.  It was something about her.  Something different, that I couldn't really put my finger on.  But if I couldn't explain it to myself, how the hell was I supposed to explain it to everyone else?

The closer I got to home, the more I dreaded it.  I wasn't afraid of Raph.  He was just psycho.  He'd get over it.  It was Splinter who worried me.  I'd never been his perfect student- that unconditional love for the martial arts just wasn't in me.  Not that I didn't enjoy my training, but I'd never be as good as Leo was, by a long shot.  I knew that, and I'd worked my ass off to do everything else right.  Until now, I hadn't really failed.  Not in any major way, at least.  But I knew Splinter would be more than a little disappointed if he learned that I took some strange girl to bed the first night I met her. 

Maybe I could get away with just not saying anything at all.  I had always been a horrible liar as a kid, and if anything, I was even worse now.  Unlike Raphael, I rarely needed to lie, so I never had any practice.  Not like it would do me any good anyway.  Didn't seem to help Raph, nine times out of ten.  Splinter saw right through lies and got even more pissed off than he would've been if we'd just told the truth.  I'd kill to know how he did that.  Damn that all-knowing vision of his... 

But if I couldn't lie, that only left one other option—to tell the truth.  I wasn't sure which was harder.  I wasn't looking forward to explaining how and, more importantly, when I had met her.  What I'd done was irresponsible and dangerous and probably morally wrong.  Hell, there was no probability about it.  I knew it was wrong.  But somehow, I didn't feel anything wrong about it.  I didn't feel any guilt, or remorse.  And maybe that was the problem.  I knew Leo would...

I stopped at the door to the lair, and stared at it for a moment, trying to think of the last time I'd snuck in like this.  I had never snuck in alone, although in my younger years, I'd snuck out with Raph more times than I cared to admit.  Funny thing about sneaking out- you have to get back in unnoticed before it can be considered a success. 

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door cautiously.  The soft creak of the door sounded deafening in the silence.  Quiet thumping sounds were comng from somewhere, and my stomach twisted in knots as I considered who I might run into first.  But no, it wasn't coming from in the lair; the thumping was only the quickened, loud beating of my heart.  I exhaled, and heard the rush of wind, then closed my eyes to listen for any other sounds. 

Someone had left the kitchen faucet on, and the soft drips of water echoed quietly throughout the lair.  Aside from that, there was no sign of anyone.  Splinter was probably around somewhere, but I wasn't about to go look for him.  If he didn't catch me before I made it to my room, oh well.  Leo wasn't in sight either.  I wondered how much he knew of my escapade last night.  Raph had told me on the phone that I had missed morning practice, but I wondered now if he was just saying that to get me home faster.  Don was probably off in his lab, and that left only Raph unaccounted for.  My thoughts drifted only briefly to where he might be, but I wasn't going to go looking for him either.  The coast seemed clear.  I closed the door, wincing at the noise it made, and began to move, ninja style, to my room.

Raphael:

I lay on my bed, hands behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling.  Leo and Don had gotten so sick of my ranting over Mike's whereabouts that they had gone topside to look for him.  For once, Leo had agreed with me.  It was strange for Mike to be gone so long, even if he had really wanted time to himself.  I grinned knowingly.  Mike was gonna get it if Leo found him before he made his way home.  Leo would lecture him all the way back to the lair.  I hoped he came home on his own, before Leo found him.  Not that he didn't deserve a lecture from our fearless leader, but I had a few words of my own that wouldn't have quite the same effect after Leo's rationality. 

I could've gone out myself and found his absent, mischief-making ass.  But if I wanted to surprise him right, I had to stay here.  If I didn't lay into him when he walked in, before anyone else had a chance to and he'd already started developing his story, it'd be a lot harder to tell what was true and what was made up.  For Mike to be gone all night was weird.  For him to lie about it was weirder.  And I wanted to know where the hell he was, that he hadn't had time to think up something better than "I was watching an eleven hour movie."  Call it curiosity.

Maybe he had a girlfriend.  I chuckled at that thought.  My baby brother never did anything with anyone outside of our closed circle.  Not that he didn't want to; I knew he did.  But he didn't have the balls to stand up to Splinter and Leo and tell them he wanted a life.  Splinter wouldn't like him having a girlfriend.  And that was reason enough for me to scratch that idea.

I found my thoughts drifting to Shannon.  I knew she was starting to get the feeling that I didn't care about her.  But that couldn't be further from the truth.  I just didn't know how to prove that I cared, when she wanted something I couldn't give.  I couldn't take her home to my family, and I didn't know why she couldn't understand that.  I had explained it to her in the simplest way I could.  I didn't know how to break it down anymore without telling her about all the problems I didn't want to deal with when I was with her.  I had wanted to avoid that explanation and all those memories at all costs, but that was really the only solution that was left.  I could feel the strain in our relationship, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was my fault or hers.

My fault or hers.

The line came back, almost mocking me.  I really didn't know.  I didn't want to have to resort to that last solution to save our relationship, if it had to be saved.  If I wanted it to be saved.  It didn't seem like it had the potential to go anywhere.  We'd been together for two months, and it was pretty obvious that she wasn't in any hurry to take any steps.  And it wasn't like I could make the move.  The day she spent the night in my bed would be the day hell froze over.  But I had to admit that I was beginning to get a little impatient with everything.  Maybe this didn't have any potential.  And if that was the case, why the hell was I wasting my time?

A soft creak from the living room jolted me out of my thoughts.  I sat up, and I could feel my shoulders tense with anticipation.  I grinned evilly.  It was about damn time he showed up.  This was the moment I had been waiting for.  I could already tell that he wasn't with Leo and Don.  All the better for me.

This whole situation seemed suddenly ironic to me.  I was usually in Mike's place, and Leo in mine.  So this is how Leo felt when he waited up for me.  I could only imagine that he didn't find it as humorous as I was now.  The picture that came to mind when I thought of Mike sneaking in all by himself was so damn funny, it took all I had not to laugh out loud.  I took a breath to hide my laughter, got up from the bed, and crept to the edge of my door.  I caught a glimpse of him creeping into the living room through the crack, and squinted in order to see him better.

His expression amused me.  He looked guilty.  Extremely guilty.  There was no doubt about it.  He figured he was alone, and he was making no effort to hide it.  Hell, even if he was trying to hide it, Mike was a terrible liar.  I could read him like a book.  But why?  What had he done to make him feel so guilty?  So he'd stayed out all night.  So he was sneaking in like a thief.  Big deal.  There had to be more to it.  Something I wasn't seeing.  It would take a lot more than that to put that massive guilt all over his face; I knew that. 

Maybe he has a girlfriend.

The thought that I had laughed off earlier came back with the force of a tidal wave.  No.  Not Mike.  Couldn't be… could it?  And even so... damn he looked guilty.  I didn't have too much time to think about it.  He was coming.  He turned the corner into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, looking guilty as all hell.  I found myself smiling again as he neared my door.  My waiting had finally come to an end.

I threw the door open and was about to yell his name when I froze.  The shocked expression on his face was priceless, like I knew it would be, but I saw something else that interested me a lot more than his panicked surprise.  It was that look in his eye.  It was more than just guilt.  Much more.  There definitely was something else there.  I didn't even know how I knew.  Maybe it was that stupid grin that he couldn't hide even though he didn't mean to be smiling.  It tugged just faintly at the corners of his lips, and he swallowed hard, trying to erase it.  He failed.

"You got laid, didn't you?" I asked quietly.  Don't ask me how I knew that, but I did.  His eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth opened and hung as he tried to find words to answer.  He was probably just as shocked by the fact that I'd flat out asked him that as he was by the fact that I was, most likely, right.

"H-how did you know that?" he demanded.

I studied him for a minute.  He looked terrified, but at the same time, he couldn't erase that stupid gleam in his eye.  "It's written all over your face, bro.  The way you walked and looked gave it all away."

He cringed and closed his eyes, breathing deep.  He wasn't happy to hear that, and I didn't blame him.  If I could tell, Splinter would definately be able to.  He was quiet for a moment, then he opened his eyes and looked at me.  "You aren't gonna say anything, are you?" he asked.

I shot him a pathetic look.  "Have I ever told on you except to save my own ass?"

We looked at each other for a while, and he knew that I wouldn't tell on him.  I was about to open my mouth to respond when the lair door opened and slammed shut again.

 "Damn," Mike muttered.  I groaned, sharing his feelings.  Leo and Don were home.

Leonardo:

Don and I had just spent the past hour looking topside for Mike.  He had called, so we both knew he was all right, but the fact that we hadn't crossed paths topside was beginning to worry me.  We had checked his usual spots, but he hadn't been in any of them.  It was almost as if he had vanished into thin air.  That hopefully meant that he had wandered home, but there were no guarantees.  God, how I hoped he was alright.

We opened the door and entered wordlessly.  Fear lanced through my heart as the lair appeared quiet.  I was about to open my mouth, but Don spoke first.

"Shh," he cautioned.  "Listen."

I choked back the words, and strained to hear the quiet voices in the hall.  A sigh of relief escaped my lips.  Don smiled at me.  "See?  What did I tell you?  Mike made his way home just fine."

"I don't know where I'd be without your calm logic, Donny," I told him.

"You'd make it," he assured me.  I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks," I mumbled.  "Glad to know you have confidence in me."

"Anytime," he responded casually.

I smiled and turned my head away from him.  Now that I knew Mike was all right, I was beginning to feel anger.  How could he let us worry like that?  "Mike!" I yelled.  "Get in here right now!"

Silence met my call, but soon Mike appeared followed closely by Raph.  Ignoring his presence, I continued, "Do you realize that Don and I just spent the past hour out looking for you?  Are you aware of that?"

"Lay off, Leo."

We both turned to Raph in surprise.  Words failed me.  Here was the one time I had agreed with him…. and now he'd changed his mind?  What the hell had happened to make him suddenly change his view on this?  Donatello found his voice first, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I will never understand you Raphael," he answered.  "An hour ago, you were raving about how he wasn't here, and now you aren't even going to…"

"Shut up, Donny," Raph snapped.  "You don't need to psychoanalyze me."

"Raphael!"

We all turned in surprise as Master Splinter walked into the living room, his hands folded into the sleeves of his robe.  Raphael growled in frustration.  "Okay, Mike's playing hookie from practice and Leo's yelling and I'm the one getting yelled at?"

Master Splinter looked at us all sternly, but said nothing.  At length, his gaze fell to Mike.  "I would like a word with you, my son."

Mike lowered his eyes and he answered, "Hai, sensei."

Splinter:

He knelt before me in the dojo, his head slightly lowered in a gesture of respect.  I would not compel him to speak to me, but I hoped he would talk freely.  I knew that Michaelangelo did not have the impulse to hide and become defensive, even though he surely knew that I did not approve of his absence for such a great length of time.  But if he chose not to speak, I could not force him. 

It was not the fact that he had stayed out all night that bothered me so much as that he had told no one where he was going.  But I did not lecture him.  I did not want him to feel threatened and refuse to speak.  We sat in silence for a few moments, and I watched him.  He watched the floor underneath him.  There was something distinctly different about his presence.  He was certainly hiding something from me, and I had an idea of what it might be.

"Michaelangelo."

He raised his eyes reluctantly.  I could see him tense as I studied his expression.  There was a look in his eye, masked by guilt but still perfectly visible.  "I'm... sorry I didn't call," he finally mumbled, his eyes darting away.  "I just... lost track of time."

I nodded slightly.  "It is not like you to be gone for so long, Michaelangelo," I reminded him.  "Where did you spend the night?"

He shifted nervously.  "I was..."

He did not finish.  I smiled fondly down at him, though I knew he could not see my expression.  "Do not be afraid," I coaxed him.  "You can speak freely with me."

He breathed deep.  "I was with a friend," he answered, his voice streaked with guilt.

"Do I know this friend?" I asked quietly.  I was a little surprised, but I chose not to display my emotion.  Michaelangelo had few human friends that I knew of.

He shook his head.  "I just..."  He hesitated.  "No, you don't."

I studied him carefully.  "What is her name?"

He looked up, an expression of shock on his face.  "How did you know it was a girl?"

I smiled knowingly, but chose not to answer him.  I probably knew more than he would offer.  The faraway look in his eyes was familiar and unmistakable.  He looked away and sighed.  "It's not like..." he started.  "I mean, we didn't..." He sighed deeply.  "Yes we did, and you already know it, too."

I laughed quietly at his exasperated resolve.  It was true that I already knew where he was, and what he had been doing during his absence.  I had suspected it before I had even seen him.  But my smile faded as I considered the seriousness of the situation.

"How did you meet her?" I questioned, curious.

"She, uh," he stammered.  "These guys broke into her apartment and tried to rape her.  I saw them watching her and cut them off before they could do any serious damage."

I nodded slightly.  "When was this?"

"At about ten..."  He looked up at me and cut off.  "...weeks ago," he finally finished.  "So ten weeks... like, two months."

"You have known her for two months?"

He nodded slightly, his face etched with guilt.  Michaelangelo had always been a most terrible liar.  "Are you very much in love with her?" I questioned.

He closed his eyes.  "I think so."

I studied him for a moment, wondering if he would go back on his story when it got more complicated, as all lies do.  "You have known her for two months and you do not know?" I asked.

He sighed.  "Well, I really like being with her and I'd like to say I love her but I don't really even..."

His voice trailed off, as if he had caught himself about to say something he did not wish to say.  He did not need to speak the words for me to hear them.  The truth radiated from him.  He didn't know her enough to love her.  At least he understood that much.  The question was, did he want to love her, or was he content with a one-night stand?  I somehow doubted that, especially from Michaelangelo.

"Do you regret your actions?"

He looked up at me and shook his head.  "No, Master, not at all."

"And she?"

His eyes fell.  "I don't know.  We didn't talk at all this morning, really."

"Will you speak with her later today?"

He nodded.  "I'd like to.  If not today, then definitely tomorrow."

I smiled faintly.  "I would very much like to meet her."

His head snapped up and he stared at me in surprise.  His eyes brightened.  "You mean... you're not mad?"

"Should I be mad?" I laughed quietly.  He looked away.  "Michaelangelo, look at me."

He raised his eyes.  "You are old enough now to make your own decisions.  I have spent eighteen years teaching you right from wrong, and how to make wise choices.  I know that you will treat her with respect, and I hope that she will respect you in return."

He studied me for a moment.  "So does that mean... you approve?"

I considered that briefly before answering.  "I should like to meet her before I make that statement."

He smiled.  "Uh, okay," he stammered.  "Sure.  I'll bring her down as soon as I can."