AUTHOR'S NOTE: again, I'm not using first person point of view for Shredder. weird, yes, but hey...mine as well be consistant with the last chapter he was in. oh yes...this story of mine has the most reviews of any of my other ones. Thank you for showing me that dipping my toes into the TMNT world was worth it and that you love it as much as I do.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead. Day one of my training and it was going better than I had expected, but I was exhausted. I wondered just how the boys endured this everyday. I glanced at my watch. I had been in the dojo for about two hours. I had one more to go. At the moment, Splinter was off getting another weapon to introduce to me to. I took the small moment to take a few deep breaths and have a sip of water from the bottle I'd brought in with me.

The boys watched my lesson, which I found a tad intimidating. So I made a good effort not to fall on my bottom too many times in front of them. Thankfully, when I did, they had the good grace not to say anything. I suspected that was because they themselves had done that a fair number of times before getting the moves right. It made me more comfortable and gave me a bit more confidence in myself.

I wondered briefly what weapon the old rat was bringing in. I already knew about the boys's weapons and the basics about how to use them. It turned out they were those star-like objects whose name I didn't even try to pronounce.

"Are you ready?" Splinter asked me.

"Yes, Sensei." Now, it still felt weird calling him that. And with that thought in mind, the lesson began again.

Finally, the lesson was finished. I sighed and collapsed on the mats. Damn, I was tired. My limbs felt like liquid weights, and parts I didn't even realize I had ached. So, basically, I ached everywhere. Moments later, a smiling Mikey stood looking down at me.

Despite my body hurting, I smiled back at him. "No power," I huffed, "On God's green earth will make me stand up right now."

Mikey laughed. "You'll get stiff if ya keep laying there, dudette." he pointed out.

I just groaned and stayed where I was. Leo saw me and laughed too. "He's right, Chris."

"Fine." I grumbled and groaned more as I stood. Every once in a while, I muttered an "ouch" as I hobbled out of the dojo. Thankfully, Mikey helped me along so I didn't fall over.

"I had no idea that this was so much work."

Mikey grinned. "It is. But no worries! it gets easier."

"I bloody well hope so." I rubbed my sore butt.

"I know just what ya need." he said, and kissed my forehead. Mikey motioned for me to lay down on his bed.

I raised an eyebrow. "Mikey...there is no way I could be up for that right now."

Mikey shook his head. "massage." I liked the sound of that idea immensely. I shed my exercise clothes as quickly as my poor aching body would allow, and laid down as he had asked me to.

I felt his hands work my shoulders first. Oh man, it felt great! I felt my muscles turn to mush. I decided that I had definately died and gone to heaven. My eyes drifted shut while Mikey worked. The roughness of his hands, I decided, only added to the good feeling. By the end of it, I was boneless and thoroughly relaxed. Man, this turtle had some pretty damn good hidden talents.

"Feel better?" he whispered in my ear.

"mmhmm." I mumbled, unable to form words just yet.

"Good." he said and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Turn over, babe. time for your feet!"

I did, and grinned when I saw his face. "Hello, lover." I said and winked at him. Mikey grinned back at me, and gave me a soft kiss. It was amazing to see how much he'd grown up. I had once said that same remark to him while we were younger just to bug him and he'd turned beet red. This time, he simply gave me a sensual and knowing smile.

Of course, my train of thought immediately derailed once he began to work on my feet.

"Havin' fun you two?" I heard Raph say. I opened an eye and saw him leaning against Mikey's doorframe.

I sighed in delight. "Yes." Raph chuckled.

"I thought as much." he said, then noticed that one my legs was almost completely uncovered by the sheets. Just to bug Mikey, he looked at it up and down. Mikey glared at him.

"Nice stems." he added, then left the room. I laughed, but Mikey narrowed his eyes. "Smartass."

"Yes, he is. It's amusing."

Mikey shook his head, but cracked a small smile. "He doesn't need encouragement."

I poked him gently in the beak with my toe. "You're just annoyed because he checked me out and complimented me."

Mikey sighed, knowing I was right. "I can't help it, babe. I get possessive with the first woman I have ever loved."

My heart warmed at his words. "I love you, too." And with that, I sat up and kissed him.

"Master Shredder, the work is nearly complete. I think it is time soon to activate the spell."

Shredder stood, grinning gleefully at the news his henchman imparted. "Good." he couldn't resist rubbing his hands together. He was finally going to get the upperhand on those turtles. They were not going to muck up his plans this time. He had perfected the spell so that there would be no chance for them to stop it.

"Soon, you will cease to exist." Shredder said, addressing the turtles even though they weren't there and couldn't hear him.

He turned to his henchman. "Make sure the transportation spell is ready to go immediately."

"Yes, sir." he turned to leave, but Shredder stopped him.

"One more thing, I want the barrier spells up and working aswell. They must NOT get in."

"Yes, sir." the henchman repeated, and left to do Shredder's bidding.

A few moments later, Shredder heard a shout from inside the building. "Everything is ready!"

"Good! begin!" Shredder shouted back.

And with that, the hundreds of henchmen began to work the spells.

Dinner was in full swing in the lair. Mikey and I were making dough for pizzas, Raph was taking care of chopping the ingredients for the toppings, Leo was setting the table, and Donnie was in charge of drinks. We were like a well-oiled machine, I mused. It was amazing how efficient the boys could be when they were hungry.

"Here's the pepperoni!" Raph said, proudly pointing a large pile of it that he had chopped. Beside the pepperoni was the grated cheese, green peppers, pineapple, ham, and other various ingredients.

I grinned. "Thanks, Raph." I set some down on the flat dough I had in front of me. Soon, we had about four pizzas ready to go.

Mikey held open their oven while I placed all four of them inside. Thanks to Mikey's luck, they had found this oven while looking for household items years before I had met them. It had been in good condition and just needed simple fixing, which Donnie had been grateful to do. To this day, almost 15 years later, the thing still worked. I figured it was due to the fact that Donnie took such good care of it. I made a mental note to get them a brand spanking new one should this one ever break down finally.

I was washing my hands when I felt an odd tingling in my fingers. Thinking maybe I had somehow cut my blood circulation off, I shook them gently. Unfortunately, it only got worse. Soon, I began to feel dizzy. I gripped the counter to keep from tottering over.

Mikey look at me with concern. "Babe, you alright?"

I didn't get a chance to answer him. My world was lost in a blast of multicoloured lights.

"Ah! at last...she wakes!" I heard a voice say. It took me a moment to recognize the voice, but when I did, my blood ran cold.

Shredder!

I opened my eyes to see that I was in a warehouse. It looked much like the one the boys had described to me when they had explained how I'd lost my memory. My hands and feet were bound and there was a strip of duct tape across my mouth. A group of henchmen appeared and chanted a few words together. I watched in amazement as a huge wall of blue-ish white flame surrounded me then vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

"That," Shredder announced, "is to keep you there...and to keep those meddlesome turtles from rescuing you. My plan will work this time." And with that, he shouted more orders at his henchmen. Soon, they were beginining get another odd ritual. I felt my stomach turn at the possiblities. Evil vibes filled the room. I shuddered, feeling a long dormant memory of just such a feeling surface.

I had felt this before with these people...the boys were right... I thought and felt my mind assaulted with memories. It was like watching a silent movie in my head. Soon, all the spaces in my memory were filled.

I remember...everything...

An even colder sense of dread filled me. I knew why they had brought me here...they were going to try the spell again. I struggled with the ropes around my wrists, to no avail. But dammit, I had to try. I wasn't going to let them possess me if there was anything I could possibly do about it.

One of the henchmen laughed coldly while he watched me try to free myself. "You will never be free of those. It is futile to try." I cringed at his high, raspy voice. It reminded me of someone running their fingernails down a chalkboard.

"The spell has been perfected so that nobody can stop it...It will be a pleasure to watch you and turtles suffer."

I narrowed my eyes at him and mentally called him some bad names. It only made me feel slightly better, but still it was worth it.

Just then, I watched the room fill with henchmen, each, as it seemed, had a specific job. They moved in a syncronicity that I was sure was choreographed. It was clear that Shredder had been doing extensive planning while I had been out of commition so to speak.

A moment later, Shredder approached me with a huge katana.

"This," he said, letting the light run down the lethal blade, "Is for you." And with that, he had henchmen cut the ropes arounds my wrists and hold my arms out. I struggled but it was to no avail. They were far stronger than I. My eyes widened with terror as the blade sliced through the air. The next thing I knew there was a deep cut on my right wrist. Blood dripped hurriedly from the wound and landed on the floor.

"Your blood with make the spell more powerful..and work faster. Both good things." Shredder sneered, then cut my left wrist.

Both wounds hurt like a sonofabitch and I gritted my teeth behind the tape. I fought the urge to scream in pain. Shredder took a cloth out from his pocket and wiped the blood from the katana. Slowly, he resheathed it.

"Begin the next step!" Shredder shouted. His henchmen formed a circle around me and began to chant. Shredder joined in aswell, but didn't stand with the others. Instead, he came over to me, in his hand was a smaller knife.

Oh, God... I thought desperately, what's next?

I quickly got my answer. With a sneer, Shredder cut my tank top off of me. I narrowed my eyes at him while he did this. Of course, he only smiled back raising the knife so it was mere inches from my face. My stomach sank as he lowered the knife. I grit my teeth again as the knife slowly cut into my abdomen.

Shredder laughing softly to himself as he worked. I wished with all my might that Mikey would appear and kick his ass.

Oh, Mikey...

I struggling with renewed vigor, but his henchmen only held onto me tighter. I took a deep breath. I was getting weaker. I glanced at my hands. They were stained with my blood as well my entire arm from my elbows down. Lots, I noticed, had also begun to pool on the floor. Suddenly, it began to glow as though someone had shone a flashlight underneath it.

Shredder immediately noticed this and cackled with joy. "It's working!"

Nooooooo! I thought desparately, I won't be taken from him again! I fought with all my might to stay awake as the need to close my eyes and collapse to the floor became stronger and stronger.

Lights of red, orange, and yellow swirled around me like flames. Soon, it heated as though it was. Sweat dripped down my face and mingled with my blood. I barely noticed that my sweating had allowed the duct tape to fall to the floor, having lost it's adhesiveness.

I thought for sure I would burn to death. "Goodbye, Mikey..." I whispered, then fell into blackness.