The lights of the city spread out below Grace as she sat on the rooftop, taking in the streets below. Hamari had been sent on a mission with a few other ninja, and Grace had slipped out to spend some time alone. Ever since the Foot attack during their patrol with the turtles a few nights ago, her mother had insisted that anyone leaving their home must be with at least one other person. Grace could understand her concerns, but it could get a little stifling to never have any time to yourself. No doubt Sensei would be angry if she found out about this, but parents didn't have to know everything.

Letting out a quiet sigh, the teen rose to her feet. Taking and releasing a deep breath, she took off across the rooftops. Even if she ran into anyone, she was one of the fastest in her clan. She was fairly sure she could lose them.

Suddenly, a sensation came over her. She hadn't heard anything, but she knew right away that she was being followed. But for some reason she didn't feel alarmed. As soon as she landed from her last jump, she turned to see her pursuer looking at her with a wide, familiar grin. She grinned back, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're a sneaky one, you know."

Michelangelo shrugged.

"Yeah, well… pranking three older brothers does wonders for that."

Grace couldn't help but laugh, then cocked her head.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" she asked

His easygoing grin never faded, but she thought she could see a brief shadow in his eyes before he shrugged again.

"Just needed some me time." His brow then creased into a frown of concern. "How come you're out alone? It's not that safe with the Foot knowing about you guys…"

"You don't seem too worried about the danger," Grace interrupted, raising a brow. That changed his concerned look to one of embarrassment, and she was pretty sure she saw a faint blush on his face. She didn't judge him, though… it was kind of endearing. She gave him another smile.

"Besides, neither of us is alone now, right?"

That got a laugh out of him.

"Guess not." He hesitated, and his voice was a little uneasy when he went on. "So… you wanna do something?"

Grace blinked in surprise.

Is he asking me on a date?

The thought came entirely on its own, and her face immediately heated.

Of course he isn't, genius… he means do something as friends.

Hoping she hadn't just blushed, she grinned and nodded.

"If you want, sure. What do you want to do? Spar?"

Michelangelo joined his hands behind his head, scanning the city.

"Something tells me we both put in enough sparring for today, don't ya think?"

Grace let out a quiet sigh.

"I suppose."

She thought for a moment, but before she could make any suggestions Michelangelo's face lit up.

"Hey, I know what we can do! You wanna see something really cool?"

His enthusiasm was almost infectious, and Grace found herself smiling again.

"I could go for cool."

"Great!" Michelangelo said eagerly. "C'mon, follow me!"

With that he was off, and Grace's smile widened as she ran and leaped along with him. She wasn't sure what exactly this boisterous turtle defined as cool, but she found herself more than eager to find out.

"Here it is!" Michelangelo said finally, stopping on the edge of one of the rooftops. "Check it out!"

Grace looked as he gestured, and her eyes widened. A wide expanse of green, with scatterings of dark water, spread out below her. Immediately, she was reminded of her clan's old home in Japan… and the glade she loved to visit for quiet and reflection.

"What is this?" she asked softly. She didn't see Michelangelo's face as he replied, but she could tell he was excited.

"Central Park. One of the biggest parks here. It's the best place to get some quiet without leaving the city. C'mon, I'll show ya!"

A smile spread across Grace's face as she followed him down to street level. After a careful look around to make sure no one was nearby, they crossed the street swift and silent as shadows and slipped into the trees.

"You still gotta be on your guard," Mikey said quietly. "People still come in here during the night."

Grace nodded, looking around as she followed him.

"When did you first come here?" she asked softly.

Mikey glanced back at her with a grin.

"Not long after we first started patrolling. Sometimes my bros come here too when we just need a break. It's a great place to just relax and talk."

Grace smiled again as she looked around.

"I can see why… it's so peaceful here." She directed her gaze back to Michelangelo. "So where are we going?"

"We're almost there," he replied. After a few minutes they came to a small clearing where the trees opened to reveal the sky.

"This is my favorite spot," he said, then lay down in the grass, facing the sky. When Grace remained standing, he looked at her and patted the spot beside him.

"C'mon, this is the best part about it."

Grace suddenly felt shy, but she walked over and sat beside him. He continued to watch her expectantly, and she realized what he wanted her to do. Her movements just a little hesitant, she slowly lay back, so she was looking up at the sky. A smile came to her face; it still wasn't clear, but there were more stars visible. The two of them gazed up at the sky in silence for a while, but the silence was comfortable rather than awkward. Finally, Grace spoke in a quiet voice.

"You know, back in Japan, there was this glade near our clan's home. Whenever I felt down, or if I just wanted some time to myself, I would go there, and do this. Just look up at the stars and think. Sometimes Hamari came with me, but usually it was just me."

She heard some hesitation in Michelangelo's reply.

"Hope ya don't mind having company this time."

Grace turned her head to look at him and smiled reassuringly when she saw he was looking back at her.

"No, not at all," she said. "I'm glad to."

A grin spread across Michelangelo's face.

"Me too,"

Grace felt that strange little twinge as she smiled back, then both went back to looking at the sky.

"Do you think your brothers come here?" she asked. "Alone, I mean."

"I think so," the turtle replied. "I mean, they don't say, but we do leave the lair just one sometimes." She heard amusement in his voice as he went on. "Usually Raph, when he needs t' cool off."

Grace felt a surge of amusement herself.

"I take it that happens often?"

Michelangelo chuckled.

"Yeah. He can be kind of… intense, but I think of him kinda like an ant."

Grace's brow creased in confusion, but he went on before she could ask what he meant.

"Ya know… tough and hard outside, but a soft inside."

That brought a smile back to Grace's face, and she looked at him again.

"So, tell me… what did you think the first time you went out?"

The smile stayed on her face as he began recounting it; she hadn't known him that long, but found it easy to talk to him, and apparently, he felt the same way about her. She wasn't sure why, but it didn't much matter to her why. She liked it, and she liked him. Whatever it was that made him so enjoyable to talk to, she was glad for it.