There are no words to say how sorry I am that this hasn't been updated for at least five months. A LOT has happened to me, some good, and definitely some bad, but I always had this story on my mind and I finally completed this chapter. Thank you to everybody who had stayed with me or is now following me. I know the last chapter was ridiculously sad and emotional, but this is a girl who has gone through a lot, and I wanted this to be a lesson for a lot of people that no matter how hard life gets, you HAVE to keep going. Noelle wasn't made for me to torture, but to serve as an embodiment for everybody who felt like life was over or that they simply couldn't keep going. I promise this story will have a happy ending, and it'll actually be over within the next couple chapters. Thanks for the support and love, and please enjoy.

Chapter 29: The Plan

After the funeral, Noelle closed herself off in her room and did a lot of thinking. She thought about memories with her grandmother, experiencing flashbacks she hadn't heeded in a long time, and allowed herself to just lean her head back against the wall and cry. She didn't bother getting anybody when this happened; she merely permitted it to happen and embraced the pain because it was something she was going to have to deal with for the rest of her life, and she knew that only time would help soothe the hurt in her heart. She thought about her dad and realized that she needed to spend more time with him. He'd been out of town while the funeral had happened so he'd been unable to be there to support her, but he'd promised over a phone call that he'd see her as soon as he got back. She also thought about going back to school, as she'd realized that she simply couldn't hide in the sewers for the rest of her life. She missed art club, and she figured that maybe returning and carrying on with her life would prove to both herself and her grandma that she could keep going. She knew her grandma was watching over her, and she wanted to make Sandra proud.

She made her announcement at dinnertime, as she sat between Mikey and Raph with a plate of spaghetti steaming in front of her. April had taught Mikey how to make it, and it had recently become his second favorite food; after all, nothing could ever replace pizza.

"Um, I've decided to go back to school," Noelle declared just before everybody could start digging into their food. Splinter said nothing, just merely observed her as the others all stared at her in surprise.

"You sure about that?" Raph asked. "You think you're ready to?"

"I thought maybe you'd take more time off to deal with...well, you know..." Leo began, his words drifting off into nothingness. He didn't want to bring up Sandra's death, not when it was still so sensitive of a subject.

"I've thought about it," Noelle responded, her eyes drifting around the table before finally landing on Mikey's face. He said nothing but focused on what she had to say. "I can't keep staying down here. Grandma would want me to live my life, and I think it's time that I do that. I feel ready, and Casey and April will be with me too. I think I'll be okay, and I'll still train and do what I can to help with rescuing mom."

"You sound like April," Donnie fondly stated, his face lighting up at the redhead's name. "She didn't like being cooped up down here for long neither, and she eventually decided that her dad would want her to continue living her life. Of course, we weren't really against it, but only when we felt it was safe enough."

Mikey laid a hand on Noelle's shoulder and squeezed it, a smile spreading across his face. "I think you should go for it. You've got this. Besides, we already kicked a lot of the Kraang's butt!"

"Do not lose sight of the threat though," Splinter finally intervened. "Your mother is still missing, and the Kraang will stop at nothing until they find you. I do not say this to frighten you, my child, but please be aware of the dangers out there. The Shredder is also an enemy, and my family will not be safe as long as he exists; that includes you."

Noelle bowed her head. "I know Sensei. I just feel like it's time. I want to go back to art club and have lunch with April and Casey again. Dad wants to see me again too, and I'd like to go visit him without feeling afraid." She seemed to contemplate her words for a moment before she firmly nodded her head. "I've made up my mind; this is what I want to do."

Raph grinned and patted Noelle on the head. "Well, you've got my support."

"Mine too," Leo added as he began digging into his food.

"And mine," Donnie chipped in. "I think it'll be good for you."

"That's my girl!" Mikey proudly declared as he wrapped an arm around Noelle's shoulder proudly and cheered. "You're totally gonna kick school's butt!"

Noelle smiled at all the support and love she felt."Thank you guys. I'll do my best."

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Noelle decided she would return back to school on Monday the eighth. She spent the weekend studying notes and making sure that all her homework had been completed before her first day back. She was both excited and nervous, especially since it had been a long time since being at art club or even having a test of some sorts, but she knew that with Casey and April at her side she'd do okay.

On Sunday morning, while she was taking a break from studying, she approached Raphael in his room. She raised a hand and timidly rapped her knuckles against the door before she stepped back and bit her lower lip. An idea had come into her head earlier, and she wanted to see if he would assist her with it. Out of all the turtles in the group, he seemed the best suited for her plan, and she could only hope that he would help her. She bit back a smile as she heard Mikey and Casey laughing and yelling at each other in the living room while competitively playing a video game.

"Mikey, I already told you I don't want to be Prankenstein Jr!" She heard heavy foot steps approach the door before it was flung open, revealing a surprised Raph. "Oh, hey Noelle. What's up?"

Noelle took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes. "I know this might be, well, a little random, but I have a favor to ask of you, and it's okay if you don't want to do it, but I thought I would ask in case."

He folded his arms and raised a brow at her. "Uh, sure. What is it?"

She intertwined her fingers behind her back. "I want to get stronger, and I was wondering if you could help me with some extra training? I don't want to get captured again, and I want to do everything I can to help mom."

"I don't mind, but why me?"

"Because you're always pushing yourself the hardest when it comes to being stronger, and I want to get in that mindset. I noticed that you and your brothers all have strengths and weakness, and your strength is, well, strength. I want to help more too."

Raph contemplated her words carefully before he smirked, and the nerves that Noelle felt crawling in her stomach disappeared in an instant. "Yeah, I don't see why not. I won't take it easy on you though just because you're a girl. You okay with that? Also, does Mikey know? I don't want to hear him crying because I'm fighting his girl."

Noelle blushed and smiled, pleased at being referred to as Mikey's girl. "I haven't yet, but I will tell him later. I think he will be very supportive of me trying to better myself; he usually is."

Raph extended his hand and she shook it. "You've got it. You want to learn to kick butt? I'm your turtle."

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She was right; Mikey was supportive. She told him later that evening when he visited her later in her room to talk with her a little bit before bed, and he even looked really proud of her for trying to better herself. He loved his brothers, and he agreed with her choice in seeking out Raph's help to make her stronger. They didn't talk too late, as she wanted to get a lot of sleep before going to school the next day, but he pulled her into a tight hug before he left and declared his pride in how far she'd come, leaving her to sleep with a smile on her face that night.

The next morning, she woke up a half hour before her alarm went off. Noelle was a little giddy to go back to school, as it felt like a fresh start for her. She thought about how much had changed since she'd last gone to school: she'd been a shy girl without any ninja skills who was terrified to make friends and was merely an acquaintance of Mikey and the turtles. Now, she had friends she would trust her life with, she was stronger both physically and mentally, she'd become part of an amazing family, and she was dating her best friend. There was the sad change of having lost her grandma, and it was a loss she wouldn't overcome so easily, but she felt stronger for it. As she readied herself for school that day, she felt her grandma's spirit with her. She wiped the few tears she shed over missing her grandmother and mom, but she lifted her head and exited her room with her satchel, ready to face the day.

As she headed towards the kitchen for breakfast, she felt herself smiling as she heard Mikey humming some song she didn't know. She entered into the room, where she saw Mikey shaking his hips as he hummed and flipped pancakes. She sat at the table and watched him for a moment until he turned around and saw her. He grinned and winked at her before he set a plate of pancakes before her.

"Morning! You ready for your first day back?"

Noelle nodded and used the utensils he handed her to dig into the pancakes. "I'm looking forward to it. I'm nervous but happy. It will be nice to get back to art club."

"I bet." He plopped down next to her and dug into his own food. "That one lady will probably be super stoked to see you."

Noelle thought of Ms. Miller and how worried the older woman must be over not seeing her student for months. The blonde wondered if art club had gained any new members during her absence, and pondered over what she could possibly say to her artistic mentor upon her return that day. She bit into her pancake and chewed thoughtfully.

Once breakfast was over, she waved bye to Mikey and thanked him for the breakfast before she hurried down the tunnels and up into the nearest manhole cover so she could climb into the streets. She smiled when she saw April and Casey standing nearby, both of who grinned at her as she quickly moved to join them.

"Yo Blondie! How did ya sleep?" Casey asked as the three of them turned to walk down the sidewalk.

"Okay. I admit I'm pretty nervous for today though."

"That's to be expected," April commented, her breath coming out in little puffs from the cold air. "You've been through so much since the last time you were in school. It's crazy how much has happened to you, and yet here you are." She gently elbowed the blonde, and Noelle smiled softly.

"Thanks. I hope to continue doing my best."

The three of them continued talking as they made their way closer to the school, the sidewalks becoming more littered with familiar students as the trio closed in on their destination. When they finally reached the front of the school, Noelle took a deep breath and attempted to push aside her nerves. April squeezed her hand and Casey rubbed her head, both boosting the confidence she needed to walk through the doors with them at her side.

She headed to the main office first, promising to meet up with her friends at lunch time. It was a new semester now, which meant her classes had changed and she needed an updated class schedule. She thanked the secretary and walked down the hallway, trying to ignore the pitying glances thrown her way by staff and fellow students. She could hear the whispering taking place all around her, most of which was disbelief that she was okay, or empathy towards her situation. She kept her head held high and simply went to her first class.

Unfortunately she didn't have April or Casey in any of her morning classes, though she did have Irma in her science class. She hesitantly waved at the other girl, but was merely given a head nod before being ignored the rest of the time. They weren't really friends, so Noelle couldn't blame her, but it still stung a little.

When lunchtime came around, Noelle found Casey and April already sitting at one of the tables in one of the corners of the lunch room. She smiled as she sat and ate her lunch, basking in the friendly atmosphere as her friends laughed and conversed with her, asking how her classes were going before Casey whined about an upcoming English test that he claimed was bogus to assign so soon after returning back to school.

Eventually the afternoon classes came, and Noelle was beyond pleased to see she had a painting class. Ms. Miller was shocked but pleased to see her star student return, and stated that she was elated that the young artist was still going to partake in Art Club.

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"Man, I'm so bored!" Mikey whined as he lay upside down on the couch with an opened comic book splayed out on the cushion beside him. "Is Noelle back yet?"

"Does it look like she's here?" Raph irritably responded with a grunt as he did push ups in front of the TV while an old cartoon from the 90s played. "School's out. She'll be here when her art thing is over."

The turnstiles turned, and Noelle walked in with a smile on her face. She'd absolutely loved being back at the easel in Art Club again and allowing her creativity to take over her mind and finger tips again. Her and Ms. Miller hadn't spoken very much, but there was a relieved look on the older woman's face that her student was back and seemingly doing well. She'd been really worried when Noelle hadn't shown up for such a long time.

"'Sup, yo?" Casey called out as he followed Noelle, April trailing after him. The two had hung out at the hockey rink until Noelle texted that her club was over, and then they'd gone to retrieve their blonde friend. All three had walked to the lair together just to be safe.

"Noelle!" Mikey immediately turned upright and sped off to see his girlfriend. He grabbed her and spun her around as she giggled and held onto him, her cheeks flushing as he set her down and planted kisses on her cheek. Casey made a gagging sound and planted himself on the couch, arms draped over the back while April laughed and sat next to him.

"What's wrong Jones? Can't handle a little romance?"

"Not when it's right in front of my face," the teen scoffed in response.

The lab door suddenly opened and Donnie stepped out, looking rather pleased with himself. He'd waited all day for the others to get back, and now that everybody was around he could finally announce what he had to say. "Guys, I've got a plan to get Noelle's mom back, and I think you're gonna like it."

Noelle swallowed and felt Mikey's hand tightening around her. A plan. They finally had a plan. "Okay."

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Everybody including Master Splinter stood in Donnie's lab, waiting anxiously for the genius terrapin to unveil his idea. He stood in front of his white board with his arms placed behind his back, appearing rather proud of himself. "So, we know Noelle's mom is in a Kraang location presumably above Earth, right? Well, we need a way to get to her."

Leo raised a brow. "Yes, we know this."

"Well, I think I have a way to get there." With a grin, Donnie flipped the board over, revealing what appeared to be a rocket ship of some sort. Noelle focused on the board intently as Mikey gasped in excitement beside her.

"A rocket ship?!" the young turtle gasped out as he hopped from foot-to-foot in awe. "Totally awesome, D!"

"Are you serious?" Raph asked as he skeptically studied the design. "And how are you planning to build that in the sewers?"

"I have my ways," Donnie responded, smile still plastered on his face. "And we are going to build it. It's a big project that I could use help on if we want to get to the Kraang as soon as possible."

"Is it really possible to do this?" April asked in disbelief. Out of all things for Donnie to invent, she never would have suspected a rocket ship. "Do we even have the parts for this?"

"We do, actually. I just need some help going to the junk yard and grabbing enough parts." He lifted his eyes and glanced at Splinter, who had remained silent and in deep thought. "I know this seems crazy, but I ran the numbers and odds and this really is possible. We can do it."

Splinter opened his eyes and seemed to contemplate Donnie's words for a moment before he nodded his head. "I believe you. If you say you can do it, then I will trust you to do so. Just be careful."

"This is gonna be sick, yo!" Casey exclaimed as he rubbed his hands together. "Man, those Kraang won't be expecting this."

Noelle had a hard time believing that they would actually go into space safely with a self-made rocket ship, but Donnie was intelligent and confident, and his inventions had never let her down before. If he was so certain that things would work, then she should be too. It just seemed impossible that there was finally a way to save her mom.

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[Tron-Flynn Lives]

The next couple weeks were the most grueling of Noelle's life.

Before school, she meditated with Splinter and Leo. It helped her start the day with a calm and positive mindset, making her feel like she could almost accomplish anything she set her mind to. Her drawings and paintings seemed to flow easier for her, like magic spreading out from her fingertips. Even Ms. Miller commented about Noelle's positive change, which brought a shy smile to the young girl's face.

After school, she trained, and not just for an hour, but for at least two. She did regular training with the boys and sometimes April before she and Raph had their own training exercises, and that was what got to her the most. Most of the time she ended up on her back with a new bruise forming on one of her arms or legs somewhere and sweat plastered across her forehead. Mikey always stayed around to watch her and make sure that Raph didn't push her too hard, all the while encouraging the blonde whenever she blocked several attacks in a row, rolled off to dodge a kick, or managed a strike of her own. Occasionally, Splinter would watch from the dojo's entrance, nodding his head in approval or just staying still and silent. He would not interfere with his son's teaching.

When sparring was finished, she would help Donnie and the others build the rocket. The way he explained putting things together was confusing, but she followed the instructions to the best of her ability, and even managed to prevent Mikey from breaking things by partnering up with him.

Sweat rolled down her back as she took a deep breath and did another push up.

"Come on, you've got ten more to do. Keep it up!" Raph effortlessly pushed himself off the ground while Noelle forced her arm muscles to lift herself up.

Her arms burned and perspiration plastered her forehead, but she drove herself to keep going as images of her mom burned into her head. She was going to fight, and she was going to work hard to win.

"Jump down!" Mikey encouraged her as she stood on top of a platform positioned in front of an open panel on the ship, screwdriver in her hand and hair pulled into a messy bun with strands sticking out. Noelle was about to protest and lower herself safely to the ground instead, but there was something about the excitement in his eyes and sureness in his position that she couldn't help trusting him. She bit her lower lip as a smirk spread across her mouth, and before she could stop herself, she jumped off the platform. She felt only air for a brief moment before a pair of arms were holding her up, and then she was staring up into a pair of smiling blue eyes.

"You caught me," she whispered, and giggled as multiple kisses were planted across her forehead.

Sometimes, she would wake in the middle of the night and dance by herself in the dojo, Jitte gripped in her hands and earphones lodged into her ears. She would repeat the movements she'd learned earlier, committing the motion to memory with every swing of her arm, duck of her head, and glide of her legs. She would imagine one of the Kraang in front of her, their blasters aimed at her, only to be knocked out of their robotic hands as she swung her weapon at theirs, disarming them right away. Sometimes she would aim a kick up towards their head, or roll out of harm's way as another bot would join the group.

Donnie had watched her once while on his way to get more coffee as he tirelessly worked on another project, the sound of her movements drawing his attention to the dojo. He'd watched her for a little bit from the entryway, thinking of little pointers he could show her next training session. He was impressed with how hard she worked, and how far she'd come, both mentally and physically. She was no longer the timid young girl they'd found in the alley begging for help, but a growing ninja.

Donnie and April sat next to each other, inserting wires into the correct positions. Eventually their hands landed on the same wire, causing their fingers to touch. April smiled up at Donnie while the genius terrapin grinned with his cheeks bright red before they continued on.

All six students bowed to each other before taking on their opponent. Noelle was taking on Leo, who wasted no time in swinging his blades toward her. With an impressive roll, Noelle kicked her foot out and kicked the Leader, knocking him back as she held her weapons up in defense.

He smirked, eager for the challenge. "Impressive. Nice going! Let's keep it up!"

Noelle found herself beaming back at him, and nodding her head eagerly.

Raph pumped fuel into the ship just above the frame while the others helped place the last of the covers on top of the nose cone.

Raph stood on her feet as she did her 80th sit up, her face red and sweat streaming down her cheeks.

The nose cone was carefully lowered onto the top of the rocket by Donnie and his brothers while Casey, April and Noelle watched on from below with grins.

Noelle bowed to what she thought was an invisible partner, but when she opened her eyes she saw Splinter instead. Her hair strands stuck to her forehead, chest heaving and workout clothes clinging to her body as another late-night personal training session ended. Her eyes widened and she felt embarrassed to be seen by herself in such a state, but she stood tall and stared at her Sensei right in the face.

He nodded his head and smiled approvingly. "You are ready, my child."

All seven teenagers stared up at the completed rocket ship in disbelief, unable to comprehend what they had built. Casey laughed and fist-bumped Raph while Mikey pulled Leo, Noelle, and April into a giant hug. Donnie stood at the front, beaming at his creation.

They'd done it.

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