Chapter Sixteen

Five months later...

Raphael watched the snow fall through the glare of the blue and red neon Budweiser sign that hung in the bar room window. It whipped around in the wind that was blowing off from the East River, and Raphael felt a chill run through his body as he thought of the cold December air. He looked back down at the glass in his hand and again wiped it down with the towel that hung out of the pocket of his jeans, and sighed heavily. Raphael had been so lost in the falling snow that he had almost forgot that he was at work.

His eyes traveled up from the glass in his hand to the scene around him. The dimly lit East Side Bar and Grill held, apart from the bar itself, twenty red booths and ten round tables, and most of the seats were filled with the usual seedy patrons, which always consisted of bikers, hookers, and drug junkies. Only the drunks sat at the bar, where Raphael stood and listened to their sorry and pathetic tales of life as he poured them drink after drink. The only thing that made him happy at the end of his shift was the jar of tips that was always filled to the brim, and on a good night, Raphael brought home an easy thousand.

Near the bathrooms, which Raphael refused to even go in, sat a couple of run down pool tables and a video slot machine. A heavy fog of cigarette smoke circled and rose up to the ceiling. The dim lighting from the tables and the dull yellow bulbs from the mirror behind the bar were the sources of light, and it left the very back corners of the bar hidden from view. A jukebox, which had the same songs in it since the seventies, sat against the wall across from the bar, and it played the George Throughgood song I Drink Alone again for the seventh time. Raphael gritted his teeth and held back the urge of shoving his fist through the jukebox as the song started up again. He had been there for four years, and every night since he had been there, someone in a depressed drunken daze would pop in several quarters and put the song on repeat. And even though Raphael hated the song, he would always find himself humming or singing along with it.

As he brought his eyes back down to the glass in his hand, he again wondered, like he did every night, why he was even there.

The door swung open, bringing in a cold blast that hit Raphael in the face, and caused several of the patrons to yell and cuss. Raphael watched the mutant lizard shake the snow off of his coat, then take a look around before sitting down at the bar in front of Raphael.

"Evenin'." Raphael said as he placed down a napkin in front of the lizard. " What can I get ya?"

The lizard moved his yellow eyes down the line of liquor bottles that sat against the mirror behind Raphael. " Uh, how about I start with a Bonfire, then go from there."

Raphael eye lit up in surprise as he grabbed a shot glass, set it on the bar, then poured in the grenadine, followed by some amarettothen topped it of with a layer of 151 proof rum. The lizard watched as Raphael stuck a match then set the rum on fire. After a few seconds, Raphael lightly blew the fire out then set the glass down in front of the lizard.

" You must be celebratin' somethin' if you're drinkin' that." Raphael said as he watched the lizard gulped the drink down then set the glass back on the counter.

"Yep, I sure am, my friend." The lizard whipped out his tongue as the alcohol warmed the inside of his body. " I just returned from the Middle East. I've been stationed there for about a year. It's good to be back on American soil."

"Stationed?" Raphael said as he prepared the lizard another shot. " You in the army or somethin'?"

" Mutant Militia, actually."

Raphael blew out the match he lit and stared at the lizard, finally remembering where he had seen the young mutant before. " Noah? Shit, bro! I knew I knew you!"

Noah narrowed his eyes as he tired to recognize Raphael's face. " I'm sorry. I don't recall you who you are."

"Hang on." Raphael grabbed red towel from the counter behind him then covered up his eyes with it. " Does this bring back anything?"

Noah thought for a second then finally smiled. " Raphael? Son of a bitch! How have you been, man?" The two shook hands and hugged each other over the bar.

" Not too bad. So what were ya doin' in the Middle East?"

Noah shrugged as he down his next shot. " Just trying to keep some peace over there. All of the religious war shit goin' on, it's crazy man." He set down his glass then leaned back away from the bar. " How's your brothers doing?"

"It's been like a fuckin' roller coaster livin' with them. Or a badly written soap opera, I don't know which."

Noah laughed heartily at Raphael's comment. " You got you a girl yet?"

Raphael's smiled faded. " Naw. You know me. Love 'em and leave 'em."

"I got married." Noah said as Raphael handed him a bottle of beer.

" Oh yeah?"

Noah nodded as he took a drink. " Yeah. It's been great. I got a kid on the way too."

Raphael sighed as he watched a smile linger on Noah's face. " I'm glad, man. You're a lucky guy. Me, well, I just don't think I'll ever have that crap. It's just not me."

Noah pointed to Raphael with the top of his beer bottle. " Don't say that. I'm sure there's someone out there right now looking for an asshole like you." Noah then began to laugh as he took another drink.

" Watch it, man. I'm also the bouncer in this shit hole. I'll throw yer ass out." Raphael chuckled. Another cold blast blew in from outside as the door opened, and Raphael turned his head away from wind. More yells and cuss words flew through the air toward the person who had walked in, and Raphael froze when he heard a familiar voice.

"Aw, cram it up you ass, jerk-off!"

Raphael turned his head sharply and felt his jaw drop as he watched Vanessa reached up and brush the snow off of the shoulders of her long, black coat. Raphael swallowed hard as Vanessa looked around through the crowd for him, and Noah could see how visibly tense Raphael was.

" An old girlfriend, Raph?" He asked taking another drink of his beer.

Raphael then locked eyes with Vanessa, then set his towel down and moved toward the end of the bar. " You could say that, I guess."

Vanessa approached the counter, still tightly wrapped in her coat, and frowned as Raphael ducked under the flip-up door on the bar.

" What are ya doin' here?" Raphael asked, his eyes still wide from the shock of seeing her there.

" Well since you refused to answer my phone calls and you make your family tell me you're not home when I came to your house, I figured I catch you here."

Raphael looked around at the noisy crowd, then pulled Vanessa to a booth far in a back corner. He motioned for her to sit down, then watched as she pushed the table back an inch, then slowly sat down. He shook his head and thought nothing of it, then sat down across from her. He darted his eyes around the scratched table, trying to avoid making eye contact with Vanessa. He could sense her growing annoyance with him, and after several minutes, finally spoke up.

" Raph, why did you walk out on me?"

Raphael slowly lifted his eyes to Vanessa's and he could see the hurt in them. He looked back down and shrugged his shoulders. " I don't know."

Vanessa shifted around in the booth. " Yes, you do know why. Why can't you just talk to me? I'm not upset with you anymore. I just want to know why you left me."

Raphael lifted his head back. He shifted his gaze around the bar room, then back down to his hands which where clenched tightly on the table. Vanessa then slowly placed her hands on top of his, and he released the tension he was holding.

" Okay, uh," Raphael sighed. " First of all, I'm sorry about walkin' out on ya. I just, freaked out, ya know? I've never had anyone say that they had anythin' for me like you did. You know how I am. My life is full of one night stands! I don't know how to handle a relationship!"

Vanessa patted Raphael's hands then slowly slipped her hands into his palms, then squeezed them tightly as he continued.

" And it was also cause I can't give you what you want. I ain't got a lot of money. Look at where I work, for cryin' out loud!"

Vanessa smiled as she let out a small laugh. " Raph, I told you. I don't care about money, or material possessions" She scooted around again in the booth and leaned over the table. " Listen to me, Raph. Chad may have money, a big house, all of that crap. But there were things that he couldn't give me that you did."

"Like what?" Raphael asked as he rubbed Vanessa's hands with his thumbs.

" Like freedom to be myself. You made me laugh all the time. I loved how we argued and play fought. It was fun! I felt so good when I was with you. But I guess I never realized how good it was until I woke up and found that you were gone."

Raphael looked back into Vanessa's eyes and could a few tears coming down her furry cheeks. " Yeah, we were good, weren't we?" He reached up and wiped the tears away. " Did you tell Chad about us?"

" Yes, I did, then he kicked me out." Vanessa shook her head at the anger in Raphael's eyes. "It's okay. I've been living with some friends of mine. I've been doing all right."

" Yeah, Leo was askin' me about you. He told me you quit working at his dojo."

Vanessa lowered her head. " Yes, I did. I was just so angry with you that I didn't want to be there if you showed up. Did you tell Leo about us?"

"Leo knew some things, but other than that, I didn't say anything.. Didn't want nobody to know."

Vanessa nodded, then moved one of her hands down under the table. Raphael could see that she was patting the top of her stomach and he raised his eyebrows. Vanessa looked up, then smiled as she slowly pushed her way out of the booth.

" There's something else I need to tell you."

Raphael watched as she slowly stood up and pulled her arms out of her coat. Raphael didn't see anything right away. He just stared at the maroon long sleeve shirt with a squared neck that Vanessa wore, then noticed that it was bunched up right above her stomach. Raphael then saw the small bump that sat under the shirt.

" Did you gain weight or somethin'?" He joked.

Vanessa's face sunk down in disgust. " No, Raph. I did not get fat." She then turned sideways and placed her hands under the bump, and Raphael then felt like he was going to hit the floor.

" You're- you're-" Raphael stuttered as he pointed. " Did I do that?"

Vanessa laughed at Raphael as she slowly moved back down into the booth. " Yes, Raph. I'm pregnant, and yes, you did that."Vanessa's smile then faded as she saw the fear and panic that hung on Raphael's face, and she shook her head. " I knew this was going to happen. Look, Raph. I don't expect you to take care of me and the baby okay? My mom is coming in and I'm going back to Africa with her. I'll be okay on my own."

Raphael then leaned back into the booth and gave Vanessa a blank stare. " What makes you think that I won't take care of you? You're off in the head if you think I'm lettin' you go, baby or no baby." He leaned back over the table and grabbed Vanessa's face in his hands. " I ain't making the same dumb ass mistake like Leo did. I got another chance, and I'm takin' it." He then leaned over and placed his lips onto Vanessa's, and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, he slid out of the booth and helped Vanessa to her feet, then stared at her belly.

" Can I?" Raphael asked as his left hand hovered over the spot in her stomach.

Vanessa smiled and laughed. " Of course." She then watched Raphael sat his hand down gently onto her stomachand held it there as a smile spread over his face.

" I still can't believe it. I'm gonna be a- damn," Raphael then brought his eyes up to Vanessa's face. "Man, the guys are gonna freak."

Vanessa smiled lovingly as she watched Raphael's hand move up and down her stomach.

"How are your brothers doing? I've missed them."

"Okay, for the most part. Donnie and Angie have been attached at the hip, and, you remember that girl that Mikey saved?"

" That singer?"

" Yeah, she's been livin' with us, too."

"Why?"

"Long story. I'll tell ya about it on the way to the house." Raphael lowered his hand then grabbed Vanessa's coat from the booth. "And I hope you know you're movin' in too!"

Vanessa's eyes grew at Raphael's bossy tone. " Yes, sir!"

" I ain't lettin' you out of my sight, woman." Raphael then smiled as he helped Vanessa put on her coat. He walked back over to the bar, then spoke to a tall fellow with an eyepatch, who Vanessa guessed was Raphael's boss. The guy nodded, then Raphael rejoined Vanessa at the front door as he put on his leather jacket. As Raphael opened the door, Vanessa waited until he had joined her outside before speaking.

" What about Leo? How is he doing?"

Raphael stopped walking and sighed. " Linda's been treatin' him like shit. She comes over with Angie, and just acts hateful to him. I think she's doin' it on purpose." He wrapped his arms around Vanessa as they walked down the wooden boards of the dock and out into a small parking lot. As he opened the passenger side door of his car, he could see sadness in Vanessa's face. " What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just, I just don't think Leo deserves that. I know he screwed up before, but everyone does. Nobody is perfect. I guess it's just because where I saw him with those kids every day, I saw a side of him that no one else sees. Leo has such a big heart, and he's driven by his emotions, just like you."

Raphael sighed again as he helped Vanessa into the car, then went around to the drivers side and jumped in. He placed his key and turned on the ignition, quickly grabbing for the volume knob on the radio and turning down the rock music that blared suddenly. He then sat back and thought about what Vanessa had just said.

" I know Leo ain't perfect. I've spent years tryin' to prove that to everyone! But there were so many times that Leo was there for us. He risked his life so many times without even givin' it any thought. He never worried about himself, it was always about us." Raphael then run his palms over the steering wheel as he listened to the engine of the Mustang purr. " I guess we forgot to worry about him." Then without looking down, he grabbed Vanessa's left hand and squeezed it. " He's been doin' better. He's his normal anal self again." Raphael paused as Vanessa giggled. " But it's just been hard for him to be in the same room as Linda. When she comes over, he hides, and we hardly see him"

"You said she was being hateful to him? Like how?" Vanessa asked as Raphael began to back up and drive down the snow covered street.

" Somethin' like that. You'll see it when we get there."

"Mikey! Those bulbs are too bunched up. You have to space them apart so it looks balanced."

Leonardo shook his head as he reached up the six foot pine tree and grabbed a handful of glass ornaments, then began to study the tree for empty spaces. Michelangelo, who was sitting behind him on the carpet, stuck out his tongue and mocked his brother.

" 'You have to space them apart!' Every year I hear that! Give me a break. How about YOU space them apart and I'll watch." He then turned to Mandy who was sitting next to him and trying to carefully untangle a long strand of shiny red garland.

" Wanna go play in the snow?"

Mandy's face lit up as she dropped the garland and jumped to her feet. " Heck ya! This is so boring!" Leonardo turned around just in time to see his helpers run out of the living room.

" Kids. " He sighed, then looked back at the tree and continued to fix Michelangelo's mess. Donatello and Angie were on the floor as well, sitting against the couch and both of them were untangling a strand of Christmas tree lights.

"Do you need some help, Leo?" Angie offered.

" No, I'd rather do this myself. Thanks, though."

Angie nodded, then moved her eyes over to the chairs that sat near the large bay window, and she met with Linda's cold stare. Angie shrunk down from Linda's gaze and huddled closer to Donatello. She had seen such a dramatic change in her best friend over the last few months, how angry she had become, and now Angie didn't want to be around her half of the time, which was hard considering Linda lived with her. As she pretended to work on the lights, she looked back up and found Linda's eyes were glued to Leonardo's back, and Angie swore that if Linda could shoot fire from her eyes, Leonardo would have been nothing more than a smoldering heap of ashes.

" I think I finally got it!"

Angie turned her eyes to Donatello as he stood up and walked over to the outlet where the lights were plugged in. He turned to switch on the plug, and the lights finally turned on. Angie smiled at the colorful display then at Donatello as he sat back down.

" What did you do?"

Doantello shrugged as his pulled the strand through the loosen knot. " I just stripped the

wiring back and tied it to the other one. Now, not only does it work, but it's long enough to go around the whole tree."

Angie's smile grew as she bumped Donatello with her hip. " How sexy are you right now?"

Across the room, Splinter reached into one of the ornament boxes and pulled out a smaller box and slowly opened it. Linda, who was sitting across from him, watched as he unwrapped a few layers of faded tissue paper to reveal four tiny, colored glass bulbs. Linda looked closer and saw that each bulb had the names of the Turtles written on one side, then their Japanese character on the other. Splinter smiled as he noticed Linda's interest in the ornaments.

" These are from their first Christmas. Someone had discarded them, so I polished them and painted on their names." Splinter then held them up as Leonardo approached him.

" We have to wait until Raph gets home before we put these on." Leonardo then looked up at Linda, who quickly turned her head as he locked eyes with her. Leonardo took a deep breath as he glanced at the box that sat beside of Linda's feet. " Could you pass that to me, please?" Linda kept her head turned and said nothing as Leonardo bent down. " Look, you don't have to. If you just move your feet around, I can-"

Leonardo was stopped as Linda's foot slammed into his chest. He jumped back and watched as Linda bent down and shoved the box toward him so fast, it struck Leonardo's toes before he could move his foot.. He winced in pain, which made Linda smile as she leaned back into the chair and turned back to the window. Leonardo shared a look with Splinter, then picked up the box and walked back to the tree.

"Guess who's home!"

Everyone's attention turned to the doorway where Michelangelo and Mandy where standing. When they moved away, Angie gasped as Raphael and Vanessa appeared behind them.

" Vanessa!" Angie shrieked as she ran towards her. As she began to throw her arms around her old friend, she bumped into something unexpected. She looked back up into Vanessa's eyes, then into Raphael's, then smiled but said nothing. Leonardo and Donatello then joined them at the doorway.

"Vanessa, it's good to see you. I was really worried about you." Leonardo then reached his arms around Vanessa and felt the bump against his stomach. " Whoa! What the-"

Raphael smiled as he tighten his grasp on Vanessa's hand. " Guys, we got somethin' to tell ya."

It was one in the morning, and the snow continued to fall as Mandy sat on the front porch. She was tightly wrapped in a purple down feather coat, and she watched as the snow fall onto her matching purple lace-up boots. She stretched out her legs and tapped them together as she looked up at the sky. She heard the sound of a closing door behind her, then turned her head as Michelangelo sat down next to her. He smiled at Mandy, then looked at the sky with her.

" Whatca doing?" Michelangelo asked.

" Just watching the snow." Mandy sighed as she sat upright and stuck her hands into the pockets of her coat, thinking of what to say next. " It's really cool about your brother and his girlfriend."

" Yeah! I still can't believe I'm gonna be an uncle!"

Mandy nodded as she kept her eyes skyward. It had been five months since the Turtles had welcome her into their house, and she had grown so close to them. They reminded her of her own brothers, and the thought of them brought a few tears to her eyes. She wanted to go home and be with them during Christmas, but she knew her life was in danger, and there was no way that her hosts would let her go. Mandy glanced over at Michelangelo and watched as he drew something in the snow with his fingers. She leaned over his lap and watched him work, then smiled as she realized he had drawn a butterfly. He then noticed she was hanging on him and he quickly stuck his hand in the snow and erased the picture.

" Why did you do that?" Mandy asked as she sat up. " It was good, even for being in snow!"

Michelangelo shrugged. " I was just thinking of that painting I sent you. I wish you could had seen it. The butterfly was like wavy looking, and I did the wings in turquoise, yellow and white, with gold around the edges-"

"And the background faded from lavender to a dark purple." Mandy finished Michelangelo's description and she left the turtle speechless. She then leaned the top half of her body down and lifter up the bottom of her coat and the shirt under it. Michelangelo gasped as he saw his drawing sitting on the small of her back.

" You did get it! " Michelangelo said in awe as Mandy sat back up.

" It was by mistake that I saw it, too. But I loved it so much, I had it tattooed on me." Mandy smiled at the look on Michelangelo's face, then looked back at the falling snow. They sat in silence for another minute before Mandy spoke again.

" Mikey, I need to tell you something." She turned her body around and sat crossed legged. Michelangelo did the same.

" What's up?"

Mandy sighed, then spoke. " You know when Donnie was asking me all of those questions about that German doctor and why they wanted me, and I told you guys I didn't know why they were after me?"

Michelangelo nodded. " Yeah?"

"Well," Mandy nervously darted her eyes around. " I...lied. I do know who Dr. Gershin is and I know why he wants me."

Michelangelo then suddenly felt a little angry. " Why did you do that?"

" I don't know. I guess I was just scared or something." She brought her blue eyes to Michelangelo's face. " And, you know, I was afraid that if I told you that you would take me to the cops or something, then I would have had to go back to my life."

Michelangelo's anger faded as he saw the sadness that crept into Mandy's eyes. " How could you not want to go back to your life? I'd have a blast if it was me!"

" I did have a blast, but I wanted to live my life, not see it pass in front of me." Mandy lowered her head and played with the strings on her boots. " All of the people around you, day and night. The press, the screaming fans. It gets so old after a while, Mikey. I just want to be a normal teenager, and you guys have given me the chance to. I mean, I haven't been able to go anywhere, but I can lay around the house in my pajamas all day long and watch T.V! Or eat pizza and a half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting! I could never do any of that before, and it felt great to be able to." She then reached into Michelangelo's lap and grabbed his hands. " I've had such a great time with you guys. I don't want it to end!"

Michelangelo held onto Mandy's hands and watched as a breeze caught the ends of her blonde hair. He then realized that he longer saw Mandy as the pop star he once idolized, but more like a friend. " Yeah, I guess it could get old, and I know how you feel. I never really had normal teenage years either. I didn't get to enjoy my life until I was eighteen, and I guess I'm making up for it now too."

Mandy squeezed Michelangelo's hands. " Not to get too deep or anything, but I feel such a connection to you, like we're on the same wavelength or something! You know what I mean?"

Michelangelo thought for a second, then nodded. " I know what you mean. Now, about that German dude..."

"So, your father knew Dr. Gershin, and he tried to steal your father's ideas about the combining DNA from different species?"

Donatello rubbed at his chin as he tried to piece together the story that Mandy was telling

him.

Mandy nodded as Michelangelo handed her a mug of hot chocolate and sat down beside her at the dining room table. " My dad was so smart. He knew that if you took DNA from a human and a mutant, their combined structure would form a new kind of blood type that would be practically indestructible!"

"Wait a mintue!" Raphael asked as he leaned forward on the table. " How did your dad know that?"

Mandy set her mug down and stared into Raphael's eyes. " You're looking at living proof of it, Raph."

Michelangelo then choked on the marshmallow he had just stuck in his mouth. " You're a mutant? No way!"

"Bet you never read that in Teen Bop, did ya?" Mandy said as she laughed at Michelangelo.

" Your father was the mutant, I take it?" Leonardo asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

" Yeah," Mandy nodded. " Back in those days, mutants were still hiding out, but there was a school located in a rural part of Hamburg, and it was run by mutants who believed that their kind could excel faster in the scientific world than humans could because of their enhance

thinking."

"Seems like you would have fit right in, Donnie." Raph said with a laugh.

"Only this was back in the late sixties, Raph. I wasn't even thought of yet." Donatello turned his attention back to Mandy. " Okay, so where did your father get a human, to, uh, mate with him, so to speak?"

"He met my mom at the school. She was a big time activist for mutant rights, and she attended the school right along side of them. From what my mom used to tell me, she fell in love with him instantly and she wanted to help him in his experiment in any way she could."

"Hang on." Leonardo held up his hand. " How is it that your father was a mutant, yet you look as human as she does?" Leonardo then pointed at Angie, who was quietly sitting on Donatello's right side.

" Um, Leo?" Donatello said as he drew Leonardo's attention to him. " I never told you guys this but, Angie is a mutant too."

"What!" Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo shouted in unison.

" I have mutant ancestors." Angie said as she looked up from her crossword puzzle.

" This is so sweet! Do you guys have powers like the X-men?" Michelangelo asked the girls, then felt a marshmallow hit him in the head. He glared at Raphael, who laughed as he threw another one.

"I've been doing some research on that theory, Leo." Donatello then stood up and ran to the computer room, then came back with a stack of papers. He placed his reading glasses on his face, then turned as he heard Angie laughing.

" I didn't know you wore glasses! You look so cute in them!"

"I only use them for reading and while I'm on the computer." He looked through the stack of papers, then found the one he needed. " All of those years of staying up late at night and staring at a computer screen really messed up my vision. And , thank you, by the way." He leaned over and kissed Angie on the forehead, then want back to the paper in his hand. " Okay, from what I gather, the mutant DNA only affects the blood and the inner organs of the body, making them not only stronger than a normal humans', but it makes the whole body immune from diseases of any kind, like AIDS and STD's. It's also protects from colds, the flu virus, cancer, broken bones. Everything! It's incredible!"

"That is really amazing," Leonardo said as Donatello handed him the paper. " And the outer appearance?"

"The offspring of a human and a mutant take on the human parent's form. Why, I don't know. It might be nature's way of camouflage." Donatello removed his glasses and tapped them on the table. " The only thing that it's prone to is death of course, be it natural or forced." He then looked back at Mandy. " So, I take it that Dr. Gershin is after you because of your DNA structure then."

"Yep. He has been since my oldest brother was born. We've been on the move since then, and we've had to change our last name several times."

" And bein' a musician out in the public eye has helped that?" Raphael pointed out, which made Mandy shrink down in her seat.

" It did for awhile. I couldn't help it though! Music is my life!"

" Hang on a sec." Michelangelo jumped in. " Why can't that weirdo doctor just pull some human and mutant off the street and throw them together?"

" It may sound that simple, Mikey, but it's more complex." Donatello said. " Since this is all new to the scientific community, the DNA structure would have to be split open and studied from the inside out before it could be safely copied. Mandy's father didn't really take the time to do that, and the effects of the DNA pairings could possibly be unstable."

"I'm sure Dr. Gershin knows that too." Leonardo added on. " And I bet he wants to be the first to fix it then sell his new 'discovery' to every doctor and hospital around the world, and I'm sure that your father didn't want that to happen either."

" Speakin' of your dad, are your parents even lookin' for ya?" Raphael asked, then watched as Michelangelo's eyes grew wide and he shook his head wildly. Raphael then saw the sadness in Mandy's eyes.

" My parents died when I was ten. My brothers had been taking care of me."

"Oh." Raphael said he leaned away from the table. " Sorry."

"It's okay." Mandy sighed, then smiled at Michelangelo as her rubbed her back. " I know my brothers are worried sick about me. I wish I could see them."

" Your welcome to call them anytime you want," Leonardo said with a warm smile. " But I don't think seeing them is a good idea right now. We need to find that doctor before he finds you."

Across the street, Dr. Gershin listened intently to the interesting conversation that was being held between the table of mutants. A young human, who sat in front of him, held the earphones up to his head, then looked back at the doctor and spoke to him in their native German.

" They are parting form the table, sir. Should we break the transmission?"

"Nein. I want those tapes on at all times. And I want constant surveillance on them. I want to know when they wake, what they eat. I want to know when they use the bathroom."

The black clad human turned to his other side then shouted orders at the rest of the team. The doctor walked over to the heavy draped windows and peered through the glass, watching as the lights went out. A low growl rose from his throat as he continued to stare at the dark house.

"I will have what I want, and nothing, not even a group of former ninjas are going to get in my way."