The Cat.

In answer to Pretender Fantastic, yes she's as blind as a bat without her powers but the guys won't find out for a long while yet! P.S. Glad you're still enjoying the story.

Chapter Eight: Home Again.

The journey had been tiring and Raph came off the worst out of the four travelers, he was still recovering and tired easily plus he didn't exactly find it comfortable sleeping in the stone age camper van with two girls and an old woman in such close proximity. Nikki had told him not to be stupid and Chrissy had admitted that she wasn't the slightest bit phased by him, Evelyn hadn't slept much but had been ordered to stop by her new friends for a few hours at least. They'd waited to enter the city until dark so it would be less noticeable when helping Raph into his home. Nikki had been noticing the turtle's discomfort grow the closer he got home and wondered just how his brother's had been taking his sudden disappearance.

"It'll be okay Raph." Nikki whispered a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" he replied half asleep and half distracted.

"You're brothers and sensei will be happy that you're safe and alive," she shifted her weight a little to rejuvenate a numb leg, "They won't be mad." He sighed and looked out the window well aware that not only were the two girls in the back watching his reaction very closely but Lynn had a close eye on him as well.

"You don't know them, I'm always messin' up, losin' my temper and gettin' inta trouble." Raph closed his eyes and wanted very much for the world to swallow him right now before he had to face his family and the upcoming fight that would surely come.

"Boy?" Raph opened his eyes and noticed Lynn had stopped and was looking at him, "What is it that you're afraid of child?" Raph gave her a confused look not sure what she meant, he wasn't afraid of anything, "are you afraid of them or yourself?

"Huh?" Raph looked even more confused.

"Hey," Chrissy looked over at him sympathetically, "I'm a telepath and even I don't have a clue what she means!" They all smiled, but it didn't last long.

"You know I knew someone just like you once and the thing that made that person angry the most was letting their family down, and if they'd done something wrong then they would worry so much that they would near enough make themselves sick over it." she sighed and got lost in a memory for a moment, "Raphael, if you're family loves you as I'm sure they do they will not blame you for what happened for you could never have foreseen it. And I feel that if you're sensei feels that you need more punishment than what that monster has already administered then I shall have a few choice words to say!" She abruptly turned around and started the engine again.

Splinter sat in his room trying to meditate but it had become hard for him of late, his mind would wonder to where his most impulsive son could be. His other three sons were out looking for him now, scouring the city with April Casey and even their young friend Angel helping to find him. His second worry was for Michealangelo, he had barely slept, was lapsing in his training and although he could not be persuaded to miss a search for his brother Splinter wondered how long he could last without sleep. His thought were interrupted as he heard the hiss of the elevator, he took his walking stick and made his way to what passed as their family room and waited for his sons to pass through the door hoping beyond hope that they would have news.

What he saw was not his sons, an elderly woman with graying hair stepped through, Splinter stepped back into the shadows and observed to see if she was a threat. She was a slim woman an inch or so taller than her sons and had kind blue eyes behind a pair of oval shaped glasses, behind her a timid looking young girl stepped half out and looked around the room before bringing her whole self in, this girl was tiny, barely five foot but from the looks of her she was still young enough to keep growing, he couldn't see her eyes as they were hidden by the shadow caused by her dark brown fringe. It was the next two people that made him almost cry out there stepping slowly out of the elevator, his body supported by another young girl with red hair he recognized as a child with whom he had once seen his son with as a small hatchling (not that Raphael knew that) was his missing son, beaten and battered but still in one piece.

"My son?" Splinter stepped out into the light to be greeted with a worried and almost fearful look.

"Sensie, I. . . "

"Where have you been? We, I have been very worried Raphael." he said sternly expecting an answer from him, Raph dropped his gaze suddenly becoming interested in the floor. The older woman stepped forward.

"You must be Splinter." She held out a hand and he took it, "My name is Evelyn and at present you're son is extremely tired and needs rest so it is my professional opinion that he go straight to his room and do just that," his son and the two girls looked at Evelyn shocked, "don't look at me like that, I used to be a doctor . . . well," she said when Nikki and Raph didn't move, "get a move on! Nikki get that boy to his room, I'm sure he'll remember where it is oh and where is the kitchen dear," she turned to a rather bemused Splinter, he pointed towards the kitchen and she nodded a thank you, "Christina be a peach and make some tea for us please this I believe will be a rather long night." She said just as three more turtles a red haired woman and a dark haired masked man entered through the elevator.

"Sensie?" the blue masked one looked at the woman suspiciously.

In Raph's room Nikki helped him over to his bed, he had to admit he was really tired and a few of his lingering wounds were making themselves known, she grabbed the blanket from the floor, where he'd left it, and threw it over him tucking it in under the old mattress on the floor. She leant over to tuck in the far side and as she pulled herself back Raph took her left arm and held her there.

"Don't go just yet, I want ya ta myself for just a little longer, please?" both felt unsure of just what it was they were feeling but it was so strong they found it hard to fight it, not that they wanted to. Nikki placed her right hand on his left cheek and moved closer a small but visible smile on her lips, he smiled back and snaked an arm around her waist pulling her body closer to his so he could feel her warmth against him. . . .

"RAPH!" yelled an ecstatic Mikey from the other room causing them to pull away and Nikki's skin to turn almost as red as her hair. "You're alive, you're not dead!" Mikey yelled as he rushed past Nikki not even seeing her and he threw himself at his brother hugging him for all he was worth. Nikki covered her mouth to hide hr laugh at the obvious embarrassment this was causing Raphael. In the mean time two other turtles came up beside her and looked first at their two brothers, but as they looked at her one frowned not sure who the red head was, the other looked amazed.

"Who are you?" Leonardo asked eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You're. . . you're Nicole Roberts the daughter of the owners of the biggest tech company in the world," Donny gapped at her and shook his head before carrying on as if not fully convinced that this wasn't a dream, "but you're the girl that was kid napped the. . same . . night Raph. . ." Donny twigged and looked from Nikki to Raph and back again, "He was at you're party that's why you're together and he was grabbed when you were grabbed." Nikki's eyebrows raised and she looked over to Raph for some help.

"Well yeah kind of."

"What!" Yelled Leo, "You were?! What is with you Raph? Are you insane? Don't you realize you could have been killed?!" Nikki saw Raph's eyes change from guilty, to heart broken to angry all in an instant. "But then you don't care do you? We've been worried sick about you, Mikey's been like a zombie because of you and it was all your stupid impulsive fault!"

"Quit yelling at him it was not," Nikki placed herself between Raph and his fuming brother, by now the other occupants were piled outside of the room to find out what the yelling was about and was surprised to see the red head looking like fire could spring from her very being facing off against Leo, "It wasn't his fault because I invited him and I was the one who organized it so everyone else was in fancy dress so he wouldn't stick out, I was the one those creeps were after so if you're going to yell at anyone then yell at me!" Leo just stared at her, he wasn't exactly used to a girl talking to him like that, other than April most would scream if they saw him.

"That doesn't give him an excuse, he shouldn't have gone in the first place!" Leonardo said finally once he regained his composure, he then turned on his heel and stalked out of the room to his own.

"He's really pleased you're back Raph," Donny said eyeing the still furious red head beside him and causing Raph to chuckle half-heartedly as Donny edged away from her, "but you know how stubborn he can get when he thinks he's right. Anyway you look tired I'll see ya in the morning." He followed the other spectators over to the family room after Casey and April had greeted him back and that just left Mikey, Nik and Raph.

"I thought for sure you were dead bro." Mikey said still sitting on the side of the bed.

"Nah not me Mike," Mikey looked over at Nikki and smiled receiving one in return, "Oh by the way meet Nikki otherwise known as . . . "

"The Cat." Nikki interrupted and held out a hand for the orange turtle.

"Wow, you're that babe. . Woah." Nikki giggled and blushed a little.

"Maybe I should leave you two alone to get reacquainted." She said and before they could say anything she was gone.

"Man she taken or what?" asked Mike watching her rear very closely.

"Taken." 'Or at least I hope' he added in his mind.

"Really Raph you sly turtle, you've got a girl. . . " Raph slapped Mikey on the arm before he could finish the sentence, and winced at the pain it caused in his left arm, "hey you okay?"

"It's nothin' just the result of some freak job tryin ta tear me inta shreds," neither said a word for a while then, "Mikey?"

"Yeah."

"Remember when you asked me ta beat some cat guy?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you know?" Raph looked up and saw a reluctant look on his brothers face, "It's okay bro I won't call ya nothin' but I wanna know."

"You. . The guy that hurt you he was a big. . ?" Raph nodded looking straight at him.

"Was it in that dream you had?" This time Mikey nodded. "Tell me what happened Mike, Please."

"Well," Mikey sighed, "it started off in a hotel and you were dancing with loads of girls and having so much fun I was kinda jealous, then these creeps threw some kind of gas bomb at you and you and Nikki fell unconscious, then I was flying through a woods and into a weird prison like building and inside this room there was you, Nikki and a huge tiger like guy, he was attacking you and Nikki tried to help you but she was thrown to the side and then he. . . he. . . "

"He killed me didn't he?" Mikey nodded, tears starting to form in his eyes, Raph pulled him into a brotherly hug, something very rare for him and let his brother cry, "It's okay Mikey, I'm okay."

Not much inspiration for this one but it should get better, honest. Sorry if it's kind of crappie though. Please review even if you think it stinks. Toodles Angel. x x x