"Dude, Do think April will like this?" Mikey, the orange bandaned turtle asked his older brother Raphael. The Red bandanned turtle as Mikey picked up a box of jewlery it was one of those crappy 10 $ boxes of jewelry that you'd probably get your little sister for her 10th birthday. Not an adult woman.

" I dont know, Mikey..." Raphael said as his eyes shifted onto something else on the shelf. "I'm not good with women... " Raphael spoke softly for once. Raphael looked through the shelf for something nice and plentful for April O' Neil. Her birthday was a few days ago. But the day of her birthday they were training with Master Splinter and of course she'd understand. She always understands.

Life in New York City had been quiet for a long time. It was kinda almost freaky. It was quiet except for the Gangs bangers and The Drug Dealers that seemed to rule the city. They haven't heard anything from The Shredder, The Foot Ninjas or any of their nemesis's. Maybe things were finally quieting down for our Turtle Heros. Maybe they could finally live the normal life they always wanted to live. But being Mutant Turtles that was hard because of what they looked liked and what they stood for. But they had made it this far without being killed by The Cops or The Human race. All of the humans weren't bad. Just the select few that hated their guts.

Mikey was the partier and the worrier. He worried about everything in the world. Why people hated them, and why they couldn't be the same as the rest of the world. Mikey had accepted that they were different. But sometimes he wished he hadn't accepted that. His only friends were his brothers and his comic books and maybe Casey Jones and April. But that wasn't enough. Mikey wanted more, a sense of being. Something more.

"Why do we fight The Shredder And The Foot? Were never going to win. And in the end were still gonna be confined to the Sewers of New York City. Why try to protect this fucking city, when in the end were gonna be outcasted from it? I don't see the use in protecting a city thats going to hate us.. We try and try again to fit into this world that we were born into. But NO! We have to be confined to a freaking SEWER!" Mikey softly said to himself but loud enough to draw Raphaels attention away from a bottle of perfume that he was looking at.

"Mikey, this isn't the time or the place for such a discussion. We're trying to buy something for April. If we draw attention to ourselves. We'll probably be kicked out of the store. I mean full grown giant turtles walking around new york, yeah. People who say they spotted us. Are either gonna be thrown in the insane asylum or going to be in drug rehab. Because you gotta be high to see Giant Green walking, talking turtles.." Raphael said in a joking manner. He didn't really joke, he was the serious one, it was his way or the highway, wait that was Leo.

Raphael was the loud and rude one, the one that really didn't care about other peoples feelings. Most of the time he said what was on his mind. But today he felt kind of mellowed out for some odd reason. He felt like Mikey, which was really weird. And from the words that mikey had just spoken. He could see Mikey was agrivatted with their current situation in the world. With living underground and fighting crime and not getting anything in return. Raphael did feel this way, he felt this way most of the time. It was odd, Raph being on the other end of anger and angst.

" Don't mind me, Raph.. I'm just frustrated with the world that we live in. We weren't really supposed to be born. But it happened by chance. And we did happen, but thats all because someone tossed down that green goop onto us. " Mikey said sounding depressed and frustrated at the same time and Mikey shook his head.

"Well get used to it little brother, because we are going to be here for a very long time.. And we'll your stuck with me!" Raphael joked and pushed his little brother's arm playfully.

"Raphaels joking, I'm putting this on the calendar as a historic moment in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle History!" Mikey joked back. "So did you find anything for our pretty lady friend?" Mikey asked looking at Raphael. Just then Raphael grabbed a big bottle of perfume. It looked to be only 25 $ or so. And Mikey had like 5 and Raph had 21 $. So it would work out.

"Yeah.." Raphael said with a grin as Raphael lugged it under his arm and walked towards the checkout line and Mikey followed. They were in large brown trenchcoats and they had a backpack on their backs to hide their shells. They made it to the check out line and Mikey and Raph put their money on the cashier's box and paid for the item and they carried home in a bag.

They slipped the manhole cover off and jumped down into the sewer, Mikey closed it because he was the last one to enter the sewer. They walked through the waterd sewers until they found their lair. Mikey and Raph enterd the lair. Leo was meditating with Splinter and Donnie was working on a computer in his room.

"Dudes and Dudettes, The shopping turtles have returned!" Mikey said in his normal joking manner as Mikey set the gift for April on the counter. And Mikey went into the fridge and fixed himself a sandwich and got a drink of some Coca-Cola.

" I heard a noise Master.." Leo said as he awakend from his mediatative state he was sitting on a cushion with his legs crossed and his arms and fingers in the apprioaite position and beside of him was his Sensei. A Brown rat by the name of "Splinter" formely known as Homato Yoshi in his human years.

"Mike and Raphael must be home..." Master Splinter said as the old and wise rat opened his eyes.

Leo, the eldest turtle. He was the unofficial leader of the group. He had a blue bandana tied around his green face. His swords were up on the wall placed their neatly and under his sword were Mikey's numchucks. Raphaels Sai's and Donatello's Bo-Staff.

"May I be excused?" Leo asked Master splinter.
"Yes, my son.." Splinter said and nodded and Leo stood up and walked over to the door and than opened it up and walked out into the living room where Raphael was sitting watching t.v. you could hear little chuckles from Raphael.

Mikey walked into the living room and than saw Leo and Mikey yelled "Yo,bro!" he still had the coke in his hand. He sat down next to Raphael and watched the t.v. whatever Raphael was watching. It looked to be on CBS, CSI or something of somesort.

"Find anything for April's Birthday? Both of you are 2 days late! Me and Donnie already got things for April.. And already deliverd them." Leo said looking at Raph and Mikey.

"Yeah, welll..." Mikey said "Raph, you take this one.." Mikey added looking at Raphael and than Raph looked at Mikey and than at Leo.

"We were late on a birthday present, so sue me!" Raphael snapped at Leo.
Mikey chuckled a bit and than he kept his eyes on the t.v. Leonardo shook his head and walked into the kitchen and saw the birthday present on The counter a big container of Perfume. And not the cheap stuff so it seemed.

"Nice, Raph and Mikey.." Leo said and chuckled to himself and than he got himself a soda and a slice of left-over pizza and sat down at the table for a little bit of Quiet Leo Time. He could hear chuckles coming from the living room. Raph and Mikey, best friends and brothers. It took a tool on Leo's heart. He loved seeing Raph and Mikey get along. Don and Leo were the sameway. But someday that would change. When they were older and when something bad would happen. He'd soak it up as long as it lasted.

Angus sat by Kristin's side and watched her sleep. Her chest raised and feel with every breathe she took it was like watching an angel sleep. Her long blonde hair sprawled all over the pillow and her blanket clutched against her chest in her arms. Her eyes were closed but she even looked beautiful when she slept. Angus just wished she didn't have those addictions that would get her hurt by those evil men. He wished that he could save her somehow. Save her again, like he did when he was really alive. The world was a darker place know it wasn't the same world that he had lived in but he remembers the streets well how it was to fight on them and for some to live on them we all have our devils is just how we battle them that is different.

It was early in the evening around 7 p.m. and it was about closing time at Rachaels pizza place. Angus knew this and well she was going to come home to some surprise finding a girl in her bed sleeping and Angus by her side watching the girl sleep. It was like she was wounded but she wasn't wounded that bed he just felt like he should be there for her when she wakes up. Making her feel like someones there and that everyone wasn't going to turn her away because of the sickness that she had.

It was a sickness indeed a sickness raised by the city, a sickness raised by New York, drug dealers on every corner. Watching the youth screw up their lives so badly, just to get a fix or a buzz because they can't live their lives without that addiction. It was so stupid. Heroine, meth, coke it was avaliable on every corner it was like going into a convience store and buying pepsi or mt.dew kids and adults could easily get it. There was something terribley wrong with this city and their had always been things wrong with this city.

Angus just had to wait for Rachael to get home and he knew he'd hear it. He hadn't gone back to his apartment at all he liked it hear with Rachael. Even thou she had no clue who or what he was. He liked being with his ex-girlfriend from another life and maybe by some miracle they'd become one again and take one the world again like they did when they were young. But know it was time for Angus to watch over Kristin.

Angus put his hand on Kristin's forhead and stroke it softly as he watched her breathe and sleep he could feel the warmness coming off of her. He could feel her heart beating it was a nice feeling and than he softly began to stroke her hair. He loved the feel of her hair between his three green fingers. It felt kinda odd just having three fingers but it was easier to flip people off with only three fingers so being a turtle had its perks.

Rachael was finishing up at her pizzeria she had collected all the unuesed pizza boxes and put them in the back and she had emptied the trash and counted all the money that was in the cash register it had been a very long day for Rachael longer than she anticpated but it was okay because the pay was good. Rachael took off her apron and hung it on the rack behind of the counter and than she walked to the back room the lounge were all the employees hang out.

She opened the door and walked in and of course the lounge was empty she didn't know why they had a lounge no one ever used it. Except for the teenaged employees who smoke pot and have sex in it. Its a waste of company money and time they thought it was a good idea when they put it in but it really wasn't. She could smell the smoke that was in the room kids had been smoking in it again. She sighed and walked over to the coat rack and got her coat and she put it on.

Rachael took the keys out of her coat pocket and walked out of the room and shut the door behind of her and locked it up. She had the only set of keys to the lounge which was a good thing so the younger ones couldn't get in during the night when she wasn't there and vandilaze the lounge. But she didn't think anyone would goto that much of an extreme. Most of the kids on the staff were good kids except for certain addictions that they had but if it didn't effect their work ethic Rachael didn't care.

Rachael walks back out to the main area the lights were still on out in the main area but the sign was turned around to say ' Closed' in the window. She walked over to the door and reached over to the light switch and switched the lights off and she than walked through the door and the bell went jingle, jungle. And she locked the door behind of her and walked over to her car which was parked by the curb and parked by a meter that had expired and she had a present under her winshield whiper blade.

"Not Again..." Rachael mutterd to herself as she saw a yellow slip of paper under her winshield whippers it was yet another parking ticket. It was getting kind of annoying everytime that she parked her she'd get some kind of a parking ticket or a ticket.

" I just LOVE New York." Rachael said in a sarcastic tone as she got into her car on the driver's side flipped down the visor and her keys to the car fell onto her lap and she put it in the key hole and started her car. Surprinsly it started easily and than she drove to her house which was meerly 3 blocks away from the pizzeria.

Little did Rachael know that she had a girl in her bed with Angus watching over here. Angus was still by Kristin's side he wasn't going to leave her side for anything. He heard a car pull in and a motor stop. He heard someone approaching the door to the apartment he got all excited hoping it was burgalar so he could finally kick some butt again. But it probably wasn't a burgular because this part of the city was low on crime.

Rachael had just enterd the apartment and thrown her coat on the back of a chair and walked through the kitchen and opened the door to her bedroom to see Angus sitting beside a girl in her bed. Rachael looked at Angus as if demanding some kind of an explanation. Angus tried to ignore the glare but he couldn't.

"Whats this?" Rachael asked motioning to a girl.
"A Girl.." Angus said.
"Really? Whats she doing in MY BED?" Rachael asked in yelling tone.
"She got jumped in the alley, I had to bring her here.." Angus said
"Why?" Rachael asked.
"If you saw how bad they beat her.. You would of done the same thing, Rachael." Angus said and Rachael shrugged.

"Your probably,right.." Rachael said and you could hear the girl moving in the bed moaning and groaning.
At least she was moving that was a good sign she was drained after the beating she took at the hands of the drug dealers. Angus felt sorry for her thats why she brought her here.

"Angel?" Kristin asked incohrently
"Angel?" Rachael asked.
"Shes dreaming... think nothing of it.." Angus said as he watched her dream he knew she was dreaming about him. She had always dreamed about him. He was her hero, he was her angel.

Angus smiled at Rachael as he rested his hand on her head and he ran his fingers through her hair softly. Kristen moved slightly and grabbed Angus's hand and laid her cheek up against his hand and Angus sighed and rolled his eyes and Rachael looked at Angus and chuckled a little bit almost an outblown laugh.

"Someone, likes ya, Angy." Rachael said laughing softly.

" I guess she does, Rachael." Angus said as he smiled softly.

Rachael shook her head and walked towards the door and put her hand on the golden doorknob and she twisted it and than the door opened slowly but the door did open and than Rachael walked out of her own bedroom and walked over to the table and sat herself down and poured her a glass of iced tea. The pitcher was already on the table. And there was her used glass on the table from this morning. Her work day wasn't that bad she got to see an old friend which was always good.

She picked up the glass and put the rim of it to her lips and she started to drink up the iced tea. It tasted great. Very sweet and not tart. Not as tart as her mother used to make it. Her mother makes crappy iced tea. But Rachael always made it very good. She bought the easy make nestea from the grocery store. So it shouldn't count.. But it does. She wonderd why Angus brought Kristen home. She was an old friend, from the old neighborhood. They grew up together.. She was friends with Angel. Well that was before he got slain. Apart of her beleived that the big guy was Angel. That was insane wasn't it? Rachael shook her head and than he finished her iced-tea and sat down the glass on the table.

Rachael got up from the table and pushed her chair in and walked over to the door that lead into her room. She twisted the door knob and she pushed the door open and let herself back into her bedroom. Kristen was still holding onto Angus's hand. Now they were hand in hand. You could hear a heavy sigh coming from Angus. He was depressed because he knew that Kristen knew his true identity it would just be a matter of time until everyone knew what and who this rather big reptile was. It was a good thing he was sitting down.

It was a sunny after noon. Rachael walked over to the small couch she had in her bedroom. Yes, she had a couch in her bedroom her makeout spot as a teenager. She had this place since she was 16 shes 22 now. She watched the sun outside and the white puffy clouds dance across the sky and than without warning. The skys turned to a dark grey color and the clouds started to poor down rain. And know it was officialy a depressing day. Kristen than finally let go of Angus's hand. Angus held his wrist it started to hurt. Rachael turned around and got a glimpse of his green hand but it quickly disappeared into a pair of black gloves.

"Was your hand green?" Rachael asked looking over at Angus

"Nope.." Angus said looking at Rachael. "You must be imaging things again." Angus said and than Rachael blinked and shrugged and walked over by Angus and sat down next to him.

"That was a sweet thing you did.." Rachael said "Brininging her here and helping her.. I mean many men don't do that. When they do they want sex in return." Rachael added and there was a small chuckle from Angus's end

"Maybe I'm different." Angus said as he watched Kristen sleep.

"Shes just from my past... I can't watch her get hurt again." Angus added.

"Her get hurt again? What do you mean?" Rachael asked with a keen interests.

"When her birth parents died, I was her only key to salvation. She feel into drugs and other things that were bad for her. I was the only person that could save her, Rachael. In life and death I have to protect her. I protected her "Back Then" I'll protect her now. Even if protecting her means I have to die." Angus said

"One question.." Rachael said as she looked at Angus.

"What?" Angus asked

"Are you Angel?" Rachael asked..

"No." Angus said as he shook his head and looked at Rachael. "What would give you a silly idea like that?" Angus asked Rachael curiously. Rachael sighed and shook her head and sat down next to Angus once again. " I don't know, Angus. I guess I just wanted you to be, Angel. I would of had my guardian angel back. And I wouldn't feel so alone in my daily life." Rachael said as she closed her eyes and sighed a little more as she rested her head up against Angus's shoulder. Angus smiled softly as he patted Rachael on the head and wrapped his arms around her.

"There maybe simlarities, Rachael. But I'm not Angel and I never will be. Angel's dead, I'm alive. Thats what bothers me. The man you loved in the past is dead, and you keep me around like I'm your friend. You keep me around in the hope that I am him reborn in this body." Angus said as he felt a small nod from Rachael who's head was resting on his shoulder.

"Is that bad?" Rachael asked

"No.." Angus said and shook his head.

"But it just seems out of character for you. I mean you never used to hold onto people, like you hold onto Angel. Its just blind hope that he might come back to life. Some how and someday. You just got to admit what happened back then. He was brutally murderd by a band of thugs and hes gone from this earth forever and ever. But I don't think that means hes gone forever." Angus said softly as he rested his hand on her face and rubbed it gentley.

" I know hes smilling down from heaven, looking after you in the after-life. He was a good-man when he was alive. " Angus said.

" I know he was..." Rachael said with a bit of sadness in her voice, her voice was a bit shaky. Shaky like she was going to break down and cry. " I loved him, Angus..." Rachael said as she snuggled into Angus's chest. And he felt what he had felt before when they were together. He couldn't tell her the truth. She'd freak out but he couldn't lie to her either. He was at a crossroads. He'd just stay with her for a little longer and keep her protected from the evils that lurked in the darkness and in this world.

Angus felt Rachael's head on his chest as she began to cry silently. She missed her friend, he was more than her friend but less than a boyfriend. Angel and Rachael, they were bestfriends an non-seprable since birth. He promised her that he'd never leave her and he had left her. He was killed... He left her. She wished she could find the assholes that did this to Angel and bring them to justice. After 20 minutes of sobbing into Angus's chest she feel asleep on her small couch beside of her bed. Angus gentley got up and positioned her onto the couch.. Made her comfortable and propped her head up with a pillow and coverd her up with a blue blanket.

Angus knelt down beside of Rachael and spoke softly to her.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you who I really am. Its a funny thing, I died and came back to life. I came back for you Rachael Hunter. And know I can't have you, because you don't know who I am. And you'll never know who I am. Because I have to keep who i am a secret. But in your heart, you know I'm Angel. You'll find me again one day, when all this shit is cleared and I can tell you. WE will be reunited once again." Angus said as he kissed Rachael's forehead " I love you, Rachael.." Angus said as he walked acrossed the room and flipped off the light switch and exited the room and took a nap on the couch in the living - room.