The evening had been leading from one shocking event to the next. I had held a relative calm as I had been close to Leonardo, but it had been shattered abruptly as Casey's voice had boomed through the house. Leo and I had rushed out, there was no mistaking we had been together and I don't know whose expression had been more shocked. Mine at seeing Melinda being dragged around by Casey; or Mel's at seeing me with Leo.

It was another moment in our friendship I wish I could go back and erase. The look of pure betrayal that had crossed her face as she had looked from Leonardo to me. I could tell she was very angry and I couldn't blame her. I had abandoned her in our hotel room. Never coming back the night previous and now she finds out I had been with the man I had claimed to hate. She must be so confused by my actions.

I too was disturbed by what I saw of her. She was dressed very punkish. Mel looked like she could be a spokes model for Hot Topic, but what really disturbed me was the way she treated everyone. Very cornered and uncomfortable, like we were her enemy. I couldn't understand why she would feel that way. She had to know I would never allow her to be put into a situation with me that was unsafe; had she stopped trusting me also?

We were ushered into the living room and Leonardo left to discuss things. I felt a little helpless. I was used to being very in control of everything in my life, but at this moment I felt like I was being flung around by all these people surrounding me. Mel and I were just players in their drama. They told us where to go and we went. We exchanged looks, I could tell she wanted to speak to me and I did her too, alone.

Raphael was breathing almost down both our necks. I couldn't believe how irrational he was being. Did he honestly think scowling at Mel and threatening her would get her to speak to us? I was beginning to think the idiot lacked every redeeming social skill that a regular two-year-old child has, but I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to cause a fight. Not with so much tension in the air. Without Splinter there I almost feared the result.

So I steeled myself and tried to reassure Melinda as best I could from my position, but I don't think I was having much luck and that just made me feel worst. She would barely look at me. I just saw her continuously glancing at the door with a very trapped look. I wished whatever Leonardo was doing he would hurry up at it.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity he re-entered the room and laid down his ultimatum. I was shocked by his words only because he expressly told Melinda to speak to Donatello and not myself. I was flabbergasted. I had been friends with Mel for quiet some time, the Turtles we had only met a little over a week ago. How could Leonardo think Don was more qualified to talk to Melinda then me?

I wanted to protest, but once again, the chance was stolen from me. Melinda went with Donatello on her own accord. I think more to escape the mass of prying eyes then anything else. My mouth opened, but I couldn't even get any words out before she was gone. I felt helpless and growled as frustration set in. I hated feeling like I couldn't do anything.

I sulked on the couch as Leonardo and Raphael began to whisper words harshly to one another. I didn't even pay that much attention, I was fretting. I couldn't help but wonder what Mel was thinking? What Don was saying to her? Could he convince her to stay? Would he even express how sorry I was about everything that had happened?

Finally the pent up annoyance inside of me broke and I couldn't hold the words in anymore. "Why didn't you let me talk to her first?" Both Leo and Raphael turned as they heard my voice. Both with equally stressed expressions on there face. I think it took a moment for my words to compute. As they did Leonardo got an almost sheepish expression on his face, Raph just rolled his eyes.

"Lea, I'm sorry, its just I thought it might be best if Donnie spoke to her first." Leonardo had an apologetic look on his face as he spoke, I could feel my glare fixed on him become critical.

"Why?" I asked the one simple word, my expression hard. Waiting, shifting, tension building for me. Wishing to hear his answer.

"Well… it's not easy to explain my reasoning…" Leonardo cleared his throat. I could see he was trying to pick the right words to say.

"Look girl." Raphael's voice broke through Leo's. "It's what my brother decided, live with it!" He crossed his arms and glared back at me. His mood falling even darker.

"Raphael…" There was warning in Leonardo's voice and the two of them squared off again. There eyes locking, glaring at one another.

I sighed and turned away from them. Not wanting to be part of their power struggle. I just wanted to talk to my friend; but now even though we were in the same house she felt miles away. I wish I had spoken up sooner. I wish I could have forced everyone to allow me to speak to her first. I was beginning to discover with my newfound allies if you didn't make your decisions lightening fast and act upon them, you were left mostly in the dust. Things happened very quickly here. At a rate that was almost too much for me at times.

I could hear Leonardo and Raphael go back to their debate they had been having earlier. It was about Mel and myself, but at that moment, I didn't feel like jumping in on it. Even as I could feel Leo's eyes rest upon me every once in a while.

Mostly I wished I were still sitting alone and thinking. If I hadn't been with Leo, if I hadn't shocked Melinda, maybe she would have felt more at ease to speak to me. Maybe I had been wrong to seek comfort from him, but it certainly hadn't felt wrong at the time. It had been the one thing that had made me feel better.

The question was, were my needs so important? Should I put the few moments I may have felt better being with Leonardo ahead of my friends well being. My eyes lifted and fell on him. His expression was drawn. Raphael was obviously getting dangerously close to his last nerve. I felt my chest grow slightly tight. Feelings warring inside of me.

Why did I feel by choosing to allow myself to be close to him I was choosing a side and it was a different one then Melinda? When had all of this happened? How in the last week and a half had my life gotten so screwed up beyond measure? Was it his fault? I watched Leo and thought. If we hadn't have met him or his brothers none of this would have happened.

Would I rather have never met him and not have to be going through all this pain? Not have to be putting Melinda through all this pain. I felt myself tearing again. How could I not? I was being torn apart from the inside. My emotions were breaking open. Raw and powerful. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't find my voice. I simply sat and looked at him, trying to decide if I should even be in this room right now.

He turned; his eyes met mine dead on. His narrowed for a moment. I could feel him reading me. My every movement, breath, a page in my book that told him my story. He stepped away from Raphael, completely ignoring his brother's words and turned towards me.

Now…now was the time I had to decide. Would I stay, would I allow him to once again calm me with his actions and words or would I simply leave? Push away from him, grab Melinda and get the hell out of the city. As sensible as the latter option was, as safe as it was. I couldn't move. I knew in my heart I couldn't hurt him like that. Not when he was reaching out to me.

Leonardo stepped towards me; I could hear Raphael protesting somewhere. It was like a surreal reality that only contained the two of us at that moment. Leo's mouth opened to speak, his expression serious. It was a clamor from behind me that caused me to turn. Caused me to panic because it was coming from the hallway Melinda had walked down with Don.

Mel was running down the hallway. She looked terrified and annoyed both at the same time. I rose and called out for her, but she didn't even hear me. Raphael moved faster, he tried to block her exit, but to no avail. She sailed past him, a frighten, consumed look on her face. I didn't think, I started after her. Screaming out for her. Afraid of losing her to the darkness of the city again.

I got a few steps before I felt something grab my arm and hold me back, it was Leonardo. He was shaking his head. Giving me a practical look. I growled at him. " No." He stated. "You promised me you wouldn't run off alone." He had already decided my actions for me. My own eyes narrowed.

"Maybe if YOU had let me talk to her, she would still be here!" I jerked my arm away from him. He looked momentarily stung. With one last glare I ran away again. Frantic to get caught up to Mel. Raphael let me by him without protest. I could only imagine he was glad to see both of us go.

As I left April's doorstep and started down the street I could hear Leo try to follow me and Raph stop him. I could hear the yelling as the struggle ensued between them, but I didn't look back. I saw Mel vaguely in the distant and I just ran hard after her. Into the darken streets.

I followed Melinda through the city. I was always close enough to keep an eye on her, but I didn't actually try to speak to her yet. I was more curious where she was going at the moment. I figured if I could figure out where she was staying. I could let her cool down for a while, and then try to talk to her on my own. I still had enough money left to get a hotel room for a couple of nights. So I could just check in and wait a day and then approach her again.

Maybe if it was just the two of us and we could talk I could actually get somewhere with her. I sighed, turning a corner swiftly to keep her in sight. If only Leonardo would have just left the two of us alone for some time. I am certain I could have gotten through to her. I knew how to talk to Melinda. Donatello was a good guy, but I am certain he had only made her more upset. I could tell by the way she was holding herself. She looked so scared and defeated.

I really just wanted to run up to her and grab her arm right away. Tell her I was there for her no matter what. That it didn't matter to me who she was with. That the only reason I had been with the Turtles was to get her back. Still even as I thought this a nagging feeling held with me. HAD that been the only reason I had been there?

I pushed any of those thoughts aside. That was trivial. Melinda was my concern now. Anything else could wait. Mel was twisting through numerous alleyways to the point where I had lost my way. I wasn't completely sure where we were heading anymore so I simply trusted her and followed. I wondered if she would really go back to this gang everyone kept talking about? I wondered why she would want to be with them in the first place.

We ducked out a particularly long alleyway and a huge skyscraper caught my attention. It had a weird symbol on the front of it. Large, glowing red. It almost reminded me of clawed foot. Mel was heading right for the building. I hesitated. Thankful in the fact I now knew where she was going. I moved closer still staying in the shadows watching as she entered the building. I figured I would let her and myself rest for the night, collect our thoughts and I would come back the next morning to talk to her.

I waited a few moments. Mostly until I was fairly certain she was staying in the building. Feeling pretty confident, I turned and was going to try to find a more main road so that I could try to find a hotel. I only got a few steps before I thought I heard someone behind me. I froze fairly certain it was Leonardo.

I cringed, just waiting for the lecture I was going to get from him, but as I turned my face grew deathly pale. It wasn't Leonardo that was standing behind me, but instead it was the huge blond man I had seen the night before at the club Mel had been at. He was standing smirking and staring at me.

I tried not to look him in the eye. I wasn't even certain how he had gotten so close to me so quickly. I ducked my face and tried to walk away. He moved surprisingly quickly for someone of his bulk. He was around me and in front of me before I got a few steps.

"Going somewhere girl?" His voice was hard, cruel. I cringed inwardly.

"Sorry, I think I wandered into the wrong neighborhood, I'll just leave." I couldn't help but glance up at him as I spoke and the smile on his face terrified me.

"No you got the right place. My Master has been VERY interested in meeting with you. I happened to mention you to him last night. Told him you both have some similar... friends." He cracked his knuckles as he spoke I felt myself shallow hard.

"Do you mean Melinda, is she staying here?" I looked at him slightly hopeful.

"No I don't mean her; I mean the shellback FREAK you were traveling with the other night. I saw the two of you run off. We like to keep tabs on what those mutants are doing." He slammed his fist into the building side next to us and I jumped. It just made him smirk more.

"Look I don't know what you are talking about. I am going to go." I tired to walk past him. Hoping maybe he was just threatening me. Trying to intimidate me into saying something stupid in front of him, but that maybe he wasn't as interested in me as he was letting on.

"Tsk…tsk. Sorry, girlie, but I can't let that happen. You see my Master wants to talk to you about what I saw and he would NOT be happy with me if he knew I ran into you all alone out here and just let you walk away." He blocked my path with one of his massive arms.

"He doesn't need to know. I won't tell." I pleaded with him. I was starting to shake. He was MUCH larger then me and I know if he was also fairly fast I had no chance for escape.

"Oh he will know, trust me… HE knows everything." The blond man grabbed me and I screamed. His face contorted with rage. "Shut up!" He slammed me into the mortar of the building next to me. I whimpered as my head smacked into the side. My vision began to blur.

"Your friend Melinda is going to be VERY helpful to us and so are you girl." He smirked at me. I wanted to protest, but the world was becoming dim and fading to black. I think he might have said something else, but my senses collapsed around me. I was vaguely aware of being carried somewhere, my body tossed over his shoulder like a rag doll and then there was nothingness.