A/N: It took a little longer than normal to update, I went on an impromptu road trip. Anyway, here is chapter four. I highly recommend listening to Battle Born by Five Finger Death Punch while reading this chapter.
"You ready?" Raphael asked Natalie as they stood in front of the metal door to the lair.
She couldn't suppress a smirk as she stared straight ahead, "I was born ready." With a press of a button the door slid open and Raph led her inside and for the first time in her life Natalie was speechless. On the ground floor was the dojo and Raphael's punching bag. Above them was the entertainment center and on the other side of the room was Donnie's lab. A hallway between the two led to what she assumed the bedrooms and kitchen.
Master Splinter stepped forward, "Welcome to our home Ms. Mills."
Natalie gave the best attempt at a bow that she could, "Master Splinter, it's an honor to meet you."
"The honor is mine young one. It is nice to see my sons being met the admiration rather than fear for a change. Michelangelo is particularly excited to have you with us."
Raph looked around the empty lair, "Yeah where is that knucklehead anyway? I let the guys know we were on our way home."
"I'm sure they'll be along soon my son. In the meantime why don't you show our guest where she will be staying?"
"Sure thing Sensei." Raph led Natalie into the back of the lair, "We put you next to Don's room in case you had any problems." He stopped in front of a wood door at the front of the hall and opened it. Crammed inside the room was a small bed, night stand, and dresser. In the middle of the floor were her bags. "Your bike is upstairs in the garage next to mine."
Natalie cringed at the mention of the battered machines. "Yeah about that, if there's anything I can do to help you fix yours just ask. I can't work a wrench too well right now but I can get you parts and stuff."
"Don't worry about it. Besides pounding on thugs working on the Shell Cycle is one of my favorite things." "I'm going to let you get settled in. Don will probably be in to check on you when he gets back."
Natalie sat down on the bed and slipped off her boots, placing them next to the night stand. "Thanks Raph, for everything, and I promise you don't need to worry about me leaving in the dead of night again. There's nowhere else in the multiverse I'd rather be."
He gave her a nod, "No problem, and in a house of five ninjas you couldn't sneak out of here if you wanted to." Natalie worked up a retort but he shut the door before the words could leave her mouth. As she sat on the bed marveling at her good fortune the events of the past couple days caught up with her and she flopped down on the pillows.
When Don, Leo, and Mikey returned home Raph was watching TV on the couch. "What took you guys so long?"
"Sorry Raph," said Don, "Mikey insisted on stopping for ice cream. Did you get Natalie settled in okay?"
"Yeah, and she promised to stay put this time." Raph replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.
Donnie nodded and walked back to her room. She was curled up in the fetal position on top of the covers. The steady rise and fall of her chest told him she was fast asleep. Careful not to wake her he backed out of the room and eased the door closed. "How is she Don?" Leo asked.
"Out like a light. I'll check on her in the morning. Right now I think she's got the right idea." He yawned for effect and headed to his own room for the night. One by one each member of the Hamato family retired to bed and a quiet calm filled the lair.
The cold seeped into Natalie's skin and she opened her eyes to find herself looking up at a bright white light. She opened her mouth to scream but water filled her lungs instead. Panic welled up inside her and she tried to swim towards the surface but the pain from her shoulder was paralyzing. The light got further away as she sank deeper until it was gone entirely and she found herself surrounded by darkness.
Natalie stifled a scream of fear and pain as she bolted upright in head. She looked around the unfamiliar room and remembered. The cold was just from the stone walls around her and the only water to be found was the sweat dripping from her face. She took a few tentative breaths, half expecting it to be unforgiving water instead of sweet oxygen. Just a dream, it was just a dream. The mantra played on repeat in her head as she changed into a pair of black pajama pants and a white camisole before getting back into bed, under the covers this time. She laid awake listening to the unfamiliar sounds of water rushing through pipes and a subway rumbling nearby. Clutching a small teddy bear to her chest she drifted off to sleep again pretending that she was hearing the soft pitter pat of rain and chirping crickets.
The next morning she trudged into the kitchen to find everyone else awake. Stifling a groan she lowered herself into a chair and gazed around the room with half closed eyes. "Morning princess. Sleep okay?" A familiar gravelly voice asked.
"Yeah peachy," She croaked.
Raph snickered at her word choice and sat down next to her. "Holy shit you look like-"
"Shit? Thanks." She looked up to see Leo putting bread in the toaster and looked on with surprised interest when it popped up unburnt without breaking the toaster. "Huh, so small appliances aren't your mortal enemy.
Leo stopped buttering his toast and turned to her, one eye brow raised, "Come again?"
Try as she might she couldn't stifle a laugh, "Sorry. It's just, for whatever reason there's this head canon that a lot of fans back home have that every time you use the toaster is breaks. I don't know how it started it's just funny."
"Wait hold up. Just how popular are we there?" Mikey asked getting right in her face.
Natalie tried to scoot her chair back but couldn't muster the strength, "Uhh, pretty big. You don't get three cartoons and five, going on six, movies without being the world's favorite mutants. You're even more popular than the X-Men, which is saying a lot."
"Hang on a second," Donnie said, "If there's so many different versions of us then how do you know which universe you're in?"
"Simple. Each version of you guys looks different and this one," She gestured around the lair with her good arm, "Was always my favorite. Just the right amount of comedy and action and the villains were more interesting, less incompetent."
Mikey snapped his fingers, heedless of the fact that he was still mere inches from Natalie, "Dudes, I've got a great idea. Why don't we have a turtle marathon?"
Raph pushed himself away from the table, "No thanks. The one time we met those shell heads from that lame ass dimension is enough for me."
"I'll watch it with you Mikey." Natalie said, squeezing herself out of her chair, "And after I can introduce you to Captain America."
Before she could take two steps towards the couch Donnie stepped in front of her. "That can wait. First, you've got an appointment with Dr. Donatello."
Natalie snorted as she allowed him to lead her to his lab, "And somewhere a thousand fangirls just swooned."
"What did you just say?"
She gave Donnie her most innocent smile, "Nothing. Lead the way doctor."
He led her to a cold, steel examination table and helped her up. "So how are you feeling?" He asked.
A withering glance in his direction gave him his answer, "I slept like shit, I feel like shit, and according to Raph I look like shit."
Don didn't give her venomous tirade the dignity of a response. Instead he pulled out a small tool that looked like an orthodontist's UV light and hovered it over her shoulder. "Your doctors did a great job pinning your shoulder back together." He moved the pen across her upper and lower arm next. "Titanium rod in the humerus, good choice. Ribs are healing nicely. Have you been taking the painkillers they gave you?"
Natalie pushed him out of the way and slid off the table, almost falling over in the process, "And we're done here." Without another word she stormed out of the lab and straight into something short and furry, "Master Splinter! Forgive me, I didn't know you were there."
The wizened rat narrowed his eyes, "No you did not. Follow me Miss Mills, there is much we need to discuss."
Her heart in her throat she followed Master Splinter to his room. He knelt down across from her, leaning heavily on his walking stick and she struggled to follow suit. Tired, black eyes bored into her, "My sons tell me that you have no wish to return to your home dimension."
"No sir, I don't." There was a finality in her voice that reminded him of his eldest son. "If my staying here will cause any trouble then I will find new accommodations."
For what felt like eons he simply stared at her. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want but you truly have no friends, no family?" There was paternal concern in his voice that he didn't bother hiding.
Natalie met his gaze with cold eyes, "I'm dead to them and they are dead to me."
Master Splinter searched for an ounce of pain or regret but only found conviction. "Very well, in that case there is another matter of great importance that I must make sure you fully understand. Your knowledge of us would prove invaluable to our enemies should they know of your existence. We would not allow you in our home if we did not trust you but your presence puts all of us, including yourself in grave danger."
Every muscle in her body tensed up. "Rest assured Master Splinter, I would sooner die than betray your family. For decades your sons have given me inspiration and strength and I owe them more than I can repay. I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for them. If your family is willing to take the risk then so am I."
"Very well then, you may go." He watched her struggled to her feet and wondered how someone so young could be so hard.
The four brothers were waiting for her as she closed Master Splinter's door. "So how'd it go?" Leo asked, just a hint of smugness in his voice.
"It was fine." She turned to Donnie, "I'm sorry about earlier. I just have this thing about taking pain medicine. We're good right?"
Don clapped her on the shoulder. "Sure, just don't be so dramatic next time."
Mikey popped up from his spot on the couch. "So you ready for that turtle marathon?"
She looked around at her new friends and felt herself smiling for the first time in forever, "You bet."