Summary: Cassidy Holloway, a 22 year old waitress whose life is about to turn upside down. Family, trauma, friendship and possibly… love. So much can happen in a few short years. But it's easier when you're surrounded by those who are family. Set after the 2014/2016 Michael Bay TMNT films.

A/N: I do not own any part of the Ninja Turtles corporation. All credit for the turtles and the rest of the TMNT characters. I do not own any brand names seen in this story. All credit goes to their respective owners. I only own my OCs.

** These are the revised & reworked Chapters of my first ever FanFiction. These are probably still trash but I enjoy writing them. Thanks to anyone who's stuck around, I'd love to hear your input!**

Trigger warning: There are some triggering situations and implications below. Please read with caution.

Chapter 1: Beginning

"Have a good night Stan!" Cassidy Holloway waved back at her manager as they parted after their joint shift.

Tonight was, overall, a decent night. Well, except when Ben, our bouncer, had to throw out a drunken asshole that smacked her ass. She had been beyond pissed, not only did the guy make her spill beer all over a neighboring table, but his buddies thought it was funny. Then when she had turned to tell them off, they had the audacity to get mad at her and say she was being a whiny bitch. It took everything in her power to not take her spilled tray and smash it over the douche's head. She did get one solid smack in before Ben got ahold of him and forced the boys out.

Shaking her shoulders to relieve some of the tension, she put her headphones in as she made her way out of the back alley entrance leading to Stacy's bar. It was a chill night and all Cass wanted to do was get cozy and relax. Being a 22 year old waitress/ bartender had its perks, but also its hardships. The tips were great, but the utter disrespect and blatant disregard people had of her personal space was revolting.

Heavy notes drowned the busy New York streets out on this early Saturday morning. With it being 4 o'clock, she was exhausted. Checking her phone, she had about ten minutes until she'd be home and couldn't get her legs to move her faster.

Bzzt.

Landon: Cass! I know you're off work, I'm not home. Al called and I'll be spending the weekend with him!

Cass: Have fun love! Give Al a big kiss for me

Landon: Trust me, I got that covered ;)

Cassidy giggled as she put her phone back in her pocket and was about three blocks from her apartment when something covered her mouth while the other gripped her neck, cutting off any airflow

Her throat gurgled and burned as she tried to scream through the death grip as her body was pulled back into the dank alleyway. She struggled, kicking and trying to bite the hand that covered her mouth. With her struggle, the attacker faltered and gave her enough of a chance drop from his grasp onto the hard pavement.

"HELP!" Her scream burned through her throat, hoarse as it left her and was easily drowned out by the bustling street just a few feet away. At that moment, she saw her phone shine in the dim lighting, it had fallen out of her pocket and her headphones were ripped out of her ears when she had been grabbed. She tried to stand when a tight grip latched onto her jacket, dragging her back into the shadows.

"Shut up BITCH!" He growled into her ear before he licked and bit hard on her earlobe, she could feel the trickle of blood as her ears grew hot. Cass struggled again and elbowed him but before she could break free of his grasp, he pushed her against the hard brick causing her to lose her balance and trample into the side of a dumpster.

"Uhn," black dots danced along her blurred vision and she tried to stand again, grabbing the dumpster for support yet her hand landed wrong and she slipped back against the pile of trash along its side.

"Don't fucking move," the voice warned, he was only a shadow, but despite her lack of vision, his voice sounded familiar.

"That's what the bitch gets," a new voice seethed from somewhere behind her.

"Fuck, — inaudible - got a nice ass though." A third voice mentioned and she knew she needed to fight, get out as fast as she could. She refused for this to be her end. Rolling down the trash bags, she attempted to crawl on her elbows, willing her legs to move when a hand wrapped around her ankle. Kicking was useless as another set of arms helped drag her body back until she was flipped and a heavy weight deposited itself on her. Her yells were muffled as the third set of hands covered mouth while the man on top of her fastened his hold, tight, around her slender neck.

"I'm gonna fuck you up, bitch," the jingle of a buckle stalled her brain. She tried kicking again yet her legs wouldn't move as he pressed more of his weight on her. She tried shaking free yet the grip tightened around her burning throat, tears pricked the edge of her eyes as her hair was pulled painfully in an attempt to stop her movements.

This is it, I'm going to die here. Cassidy's mind raced as she panicked, trying to think of a way out when the weight on her suddenly vanished.

Thud. Crunch. Bang. The sound of cursing bone and low groans was all that was heard as her attackers vanished before her. Her vision was still blurry as her body convulsed, rolling on her side and sucking in as much air as her lungs could handle. The burning sensation ebbing with each intake.

A sudden pressure landed on her shoulder and she tried to scream when a gentle voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Shh, please, don't move." He commanded.

"Donnie, she's bleeding!" Another, younger voice, was heard from above her when another pressure was felt against the side of her head.

"She's bleeding from her head. Raph! I need her moved to the roof. I can't work on her here."

"She stable?" A gruff voice questioned which was immediately pushed aside by an assured enough.

Suddenly she felt weightless. Everything was a blur and she knew she was slipping in and out of consciousness. Arms wrapped around her body and cradled her to a hard chest her vision went black.

At the feel of gravel she woke up enough to realize she was laying down again and her mind began to panic and with a newfound strength she balled her fist and threw it blind.

"Shit, uhn…" her attacker groaned, I got a solid hit!

"It's okay, please, we're here to help," a soft voice reassured and a large hand swept across her brow, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Raphael, you alright?" The gentle voice questioned, to which the person simply grunted and mumbled under their breath.

"Please, you're losing a lot of blood— Donnie," the voice was laced with concern and question as it directed its attention to the one name Donnie.

"Checking vitals," was all she heard before her dotted vision was blinded by an onslaught of white light. Large fingers pressed against her eyelids, forcing them open. Tears welled as the light was quickly becoming too much to handle.

"She has a concussion… bruising…be okay—," she couldn't bring herself to focus enough to make sense of what he was saying as exhaustion took over.

"Ma'am, you need to stay awake—Don." The soft voice had an edge of panic laced with concern as a gentle press caressed the side of her temple.

"Cassidy Holloway, 22, waitress at Stacy's bar…lives at 6418 Bushel Avenue, Apt. 7D.—," the voice continued to ramble random facts about her but the throbbing in her brain didn't allow her to care or be too concerned.

"Emergency contacts?" Another new voice, who are they? The gentle hand still brushing along her hairline continued, it helped keep her focused enough to stay awake. He's talking to me, she hears his words but cannot concentrate enough on them to understand what, exactly, he is saying.

"We got Charlotte Holloway, her mom but she lives out of state."

"Anyone…"

"Oh! She knows April!"

"Our April?" The younger voice from earlier boomed excited and the ministrations against her hairline seized.

"Call—,"

"On it Leo." That deep voice was the last sound she heard before Cassidy lost her battle and fell unconscious on top of a New York rooftop.

"Ugh, fuck…my head," Cassidy groaned as her weight shifted to turn away from the bright light that felt like it was burning her retinas.

"Cass!" April?

"My head—," she hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes watering from the sun that was assaulting her through the sheer curtains.

"I know sweetheart, I have water. You're safe."

Cassidy's eyes fluttered open, only to be welcomed by the worried gaze of her friend who held a glass of water in her hands. She looks exhausted.

"How," Cassidy wasn't sure how to phrase her question because there were a million that she wanted to ask. I need answers.

"It's a long story but Cass…you were attacked. My friends," her voice went soft as she set the water glass down to run a shaky hand through her long, dark hair. "My friends saved you and brought you here."

"Friends? Save me?" Cass's eyes closed, her mind racing and brain throbbed as her head felt as if it was about to explode.

"Who…are they? Where are they? How'd they know I knew you?"

"They are home, safe," was the only answer she gave as she picked up the glass of water and jutted in her direction. That answered nothing.

"The police have the men that attacked you in custody. We were able to get surveillance from the convenience store across the street that showed your attackers take you into the alleyway."

Cassidy eased her way into a sitting position as April continued to explain the manner of events that she had missed while passing out. Halfway up, Cass's head felt heavy and her left elbow gave out which forced her to fall back against the wall of pillows behind her.

"Woah, slowly Cass…here, take this" she pushed the pills into her hands before fluffing her pillows then giving her the glass of water.

"Drink up." April commanded, her hands braced against her hips and looked like the picture of a caring, slightly overbearing mother figure. Cassidy knew she was blessed to know someone as caring as her. With reluctance, she took a sip of water before throwing the pills down her sore throat and taking another big swig to wash them down.

"I'll be right back with some chicken soup, you need to eat something."

Cassidy was left in her own silence as April left the small bedroom. She let a strangled moan slip as she took another sip of the ice cold water. How long have I been out? Her mouth felt so dry no matter how much water she drank. Once the glass was empty, she set it down on the night stand and noticed her phone and headphones beside her. Grabbing her phone, she noticed that the screen was completely shattered and if she were to swipe up, the glass would mare her fingers. At least April had plugged it in for her but Cassidy blanched as she checked the time. It's SUNDAY!? Wha, how! She had been out for a whole day. What the hell, Cassidy's head swam and throbbed more violently as she waited for April to return. More and more questions were being mentally added as the minutes ticked by.

A month has passed since her attack, and she was back to work at Stancy's bar but Stan, her manager, refused to let her work later than ten at night. He had felt horrible about the incident, he first heard about it on the news and after clarifying with April (who he called because she was Cass's emergency contact) after Cass didn't show up for work Saturday night. Since then, Stan makes sure that a cab is called for her and refuses to allow her to pay for her trip back home, despite her many attempts to repay him.

Life has resumed back to normal, sort of. April has stopped by every night for the past two weeks. Each time offering to cook dinner, bringing take-out or simply being there to talk and help Cass feel comfortable and not so alone. But, no matter how much Cass pushed, April refused to give more insight to her friends that had saved her. Every time they were brought up, she'd quickly change the subject or give Cass a bullshit excuse. Cassidy was getting frustrated, quickly. All she wanted to do was properly thank her heroes and offer some form of repayment. She was a killer baker. Which is how Cassidy, after a month of tiptoeing around, finally said 'enough' and was now headed to April's. Cass got off work an hour early and decided to pop by April's and refused to leave until April gave her a legitimate reason why Cass couldn't know who saved her.

Thirty minutes later she arrived at the bottom steps of April's apartment complex. Cassidy had just raised her hand to hit the buzzer when the door opened. The person in question didn't even lift their head enough to acknowledge her or reciprocate her thanks as they were glued to their phone. Talk about a blessing in disguise, this made it the perfect opportunity to surprise Ape and get to the bottom of this whole 'hide the hero' act.

With each step, Cassidy mentally prepared all her questions, it was nerve-racking. She was about to embark on the journey of interrogating a journalist who literally does it everyday as her job. But, despite the small flutter of anxiety, Cass pushed forward and prepared for the interrogation of a lifetime.

Five more flights of stairs passed until she was standing over April's welcome mat but before she could knock, she heard the gentle mumbles of voices on the other side. Pressing forward, Cassidy turned and laid against the thin door to listen. There were at least four different voices.

"Did you see that? Woohoo!"

"See that cross? He got nothin' on—,"

A few more shaky seconds passed for Cassidy to take even her breathing before she tested the handle. It gave way in her grasp and she took that as a sign, pushing the door open and froze immediately.

Time slowed to a complete halt as Cassidy looked around the open apartment to see six pairs of eyes looking back at her. Only two of them she recognized while the others were accompanied by colorful masks, green, reptilian skin and large shells. What? As she surveyed the room she saw April leaning over her kitchen island, Casey Jones was sprawled in a barstool a few feet away, each with a beer in their hands and their mouths opening and closing like fish out of water. Which was exactly how Cassidy felt. She made eye contact with a large, green…creature, who stood beside April, his strange fingers gripped the counter and his eyes were highlighted by a blue bandana. Movement was seen out of the corner of her eye and a slightly shorter turtle? Inched closer, hands up in surrender before he moved enough to close the door behind her. He whispered a quiet hi with a sheepish smile before backtracking towards the couch he stood from. Her eyes never left him until she gazed at the couch where another, wearing purple, was sprawled with his large boots thrown over the coffee table. His simply nodded and arched his brow as if waiting for a bomb to go off. With each new detail and the deafening silence, Cassidy swore that everyone in a fifty-mile radius could hear her racing heart. Which only accelerated when she locked eyes with the last being who wore red and stared at her with piercing amber eyes, his bulging biceps crossed over his chest and she swore she saw him breath smoke.

"Cassidy…" April's voice was shrouded by her ever beating heart but she managed to slowly turn to make eye contact with the brunette.

"Uh, Ape, this is…" the one in orange began before the one in blue cut him a look that silenced him.

"You, you're, you're the gentle voice I heard, you, you saved me." Cassidy stuttered as her eyes fixated on the oversized turtle before her. His beautiful baby blues shined and his bright smile was absolutely contagious to where Cassidy immediately felt at ease and let a smile of her own flick across her still stunned features.

"Heh, you remember?" His voice was filled with mirth, wonder and excitement, Cassidy could practically feel energy from her spot ten feet away.

"Mikey." The one in blue warned, his eyes set and lips pursed.

"Cat's outta the bag Leo, might as well get it over with," the once cloaked in red huffed, his arms flexing across his chest as if unsure what to do with his hands.

"Turtle," Cass murmured in rebuke of the red one's comment which earned her a deep chuckle from both the ones in red and orange. His bright amber eyes locked before she dropped to watch the toothpick roll between teeth, smirking in acceptance.

"Hahaha! I like her Angelcakes!" Mikey, the one in orange beamed before he bounded over to the kitchen island as if to get closer yet still far enough as not to overwhelm her. Cass could feel the tension roll off her shoulders the longer everyone looked between each other as she realized that she was finally going to get the answers she deserved.

"Okay, let me get this straight…you, met these guys by accident, then you all took down Shredder, Sacks and The Foot clan?" Cassidy asked for what seemed like the hundredth time, gesturing between April and the boys as their origin story unfolded before her.

"Yes," Leonardo nodded, sitting across from her on the recliner, hunched at the waist, his hands clasped together and flexing with each intake of breath.

"Well Vern was there too…" Mikey offered with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, that's the guy that named himself 'The frog' or something right?" A deep, gruff laugh answered her as Raphael (Red) chuckled.

"Ya mean, 'the Falcon'," and the second after he said it, all the boys erupted in 'Ca-Caws' and their arms flapped like wings. Laughter echoed throughout the small apartment and April ruffled Cass's hair before she turned back towards the kitchen. After they settled, April came back with another beer and offered it to Cass.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, but I hope you understand why I couldn't." April gestured to the boys and a somber feel fell over the room, but Cassidy understood. How could she not?

"I'm not upset, well I was at first, but now that I know, I understand why. I can't fault you for wanting to protect your friends." Cass acknowledged with a shrug of her shoulders before taking a swig of Casey's sad excuse of beer.

"With that being said, I hope you understand why, that now you know, you must keep it a secret. Very few people know of our existence and we'd like to keep it that way." Leonardo's voice dropped to a near dangerous octave as his eyes commanded obedience.

"Of course!" Cassidy nodded vigorously before continuing, "seriously thought, I'm just thankful I get the chance to thank you all for saving me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," she finished while making eye contact with each of the brothers. Mikey jumped up and all but tackled Cassidy's side of the couch, wrapping her in a tight hug, "I'm happy you're here! I need more friends, my bros are so boooooring!" Cassidy giggled at Mikey's antics as his brow ridge wiggled while hearing his brothers groan in unison.

"Now that's all settled," Leo stood, dusting his pants before looking at his brothers, "let's move out." Nodding his head in parting, he collected his items from the side of the couch.

"Awww c'mon!" Mikey whined, giving another squeeze to Cassidy before dislodging and grappling April in a tight hug all her own.

"It was nice to meet you," the one in purple, Donatello said as he reached to shake her hand, "it was nice to meet you too Donatello," she said before he offered for her to call him Donnie.

That left the big red one, Raphael, who was by far, the largest of his brothers and the one who had evidently carried her to the roof following the attack. Turns out, he was the one who got a taste of her hearty right hook, to which she found out he had been teased relentlessly about ever since. It was evident that her punch was held in high regard and she needed to consider it an honor to hold the prize for getting one past him. Cassidy stood and watched as he ruffled April's hair before whispering in her ear which resulted in boisterous laughter and a slap to his arm. He then moved to fist bump Casey with a grin and a remark about watching out for April before locking eyes with her. He had been the most stand-off-ish tonight. Turning, he stopped a few inches from her, causing her to crane her neck to keep eye contact. He doesn't scare me.

"Nice meetin' ya," he said with a grunt and an adjustment to the straps that crossed his chest and looking as if he hasn't finished sizing her up yet. Which, she felt he had been doing all night as she watched him out the corner of her eye for a consistent hour.

"You too Red, no hard feelings?" Cass offered a smirk playing on her lips as she attempted to keep the tone light, hoping to earn his trust.

"Eat it up all ya want, cuz it won't happen again." He smirked before he playfully bumped against her shoulder as he walked past to meet his brothers at the window.

After another two minutes of goodbyes and promises of the future, the mutant turtle brothers vanished into the night which left April, Casey and Cass in the apartment that felt too large without its other occupants. The silence returned and Cassidy knew it was her chance to help April realize that she was forgiven and that there were no hard feelings about her keeping this secret for so long. Despite Cassidy understanding, she couldn't help the nagging feeling she shouldn't have pushed and put April or the others in this situation. Especially knowing the severity of knowing such a secret.

"Ape," Cassidy began but didn't get a chance to finish before April gushed and began to apologize.

"Oh Cass, I'm sorry. It's not that I didn't want to tell you, it's just, well, they mean the world to me. They are my family and I couldn't jeopardize their existence for the selfish need of wanting you to know them." April's eyes dropped to trace the lip of her beer bottle before she made eye contact again, worry burned through her deep chestnut eyes.

"But," she continued, "I am so relieved that you know, it's a huge weight off my shoulders." April smiled then and her shoulders visibly relaxed which had the same effect on Cassidy and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"They are amazing, I am forever in their debt and I couldn't be more grateful to have someone like you in my life." Cassidy confessed with a half shrug before opening her arms in a welcoming hug. To which April took without question, the hug erased any worries and they both knew that their friendship was now stronger than it was before.

"Also, it's nice to have another girl around," April pulled away with a wink before turning to head back to the kitchen. Cassidy followed with a laugh before she inquired about how she could properly thank the brothers in saving her life. She felt that simply saying 'thank you' just couldn't account for the fact that if it wasn't for them, she'd be dead right now.

"Pizza. That is the answer to almost everything. Allow Donnie to help with any tech problems you may have, listen to Leo (even if it's just out of respect) and maybe get Raph a new punching bag," she continued, bending down to grab three waters from the bottom shelf before throwing one toward Casey.

"I happen to know that you have one collecting dust somewhere in your apartment." April winked before rolling a water bottle across the counter to her.

"Consider it done. Seriously though, thank you," Cassidy said for the thousandth time tonight. April, and all the guys understood how thankful she was and despite how it had been her life on the line, to the boys, they were just doing their civic duty.

Cassidy ended up staying with April that night after kicking Casey to the curb. He had mumbled something about meeting up with the boys and took off. Despite the trauma of her attack, she knew that from tonight forward, she'd remember that night as a new beginning instead of a what could have been a tragic end to her existence.

She was looking forward to this new friendship, if only she knew how much it was going to change her life.