Note: No more character changes after this one, I promise. We're back to Angel now and will stay as her for the remainder of the story.

I didn't dare believe it was true, but how could it not be? After weeks of being terrified for my life I was finally safe! My family had come to rescue me. I felt Leonardo's arms around me, holding me protectively against his broad chest. I was sobbing into his chest, clinging onto him for everything I was worth.

"It really is you!" I cried, squeezing him tighter and wanting to never let go. I could feel him nodding, pulling me tighter into his protective embrace. My bruised and broken ribs screamed in agony, but I didn't care enough to let go.

"Let's get out if here." He said, letting me go. I panicked. Weeks of torture and insecurity had left me scarred and I couldn't bring myself to let go of the one safe thing in my life. Too terrified to be ashamed of my child-like behavior, I clung to him.

"No," I pleaded, my voice cracking, "Don't let me go. If you let me go they'll get to me and I just can't take that anymore. They do terrible things, Leo. Terrible, terrible things. And the pain…" I dissolved into a snotty-nosed, blubbering mess, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs as I tried in vain to block out the monstrous thoughts that came rushing at me like a flood. I could feel Leo stiffen beneath me, anger running through his body. He reached beneath my knees with one arm and picked me up swiftly, cradling me against his massive chest.

"Angel, listen to me very carefully. They're never going to touch you ever again so long as there is breath in my body, you hear?" He whispered fiercely, starting at a light jog out of the cell and down the hallway leading to the upstairs stairs. "In any of our bodies, actually. We're all going to protect you with everything we've got and nothing is ever going to hurt you ever again."

"You mean they're here, too?" I asked weakly, already feeling drained from the last few minutes. My broken body couldn't take much anymore before feeling utterly exhausted in just a few moments.

"All four of us came to get you, little bird. We've all been searching frantically to find you so when Donnie got a whiff of where you were we were all biting at the bit to go and get you. Believe it or not it was Raph who convinced us, convinced me, to stay a few more days to make it a safer rescue for you."

My eyelids felt like lead and I had trouble making anything focus. My head lay against his plastron limply, bouncing slightly with each move he made. Inside me, a feeling of joy and love welled up and rose to my throat, but all I could manage was a sorry excuse for a "mm-hmm" sound that sounded more like a dying car than anything. I finally surrendered to the exhaustion that was pressing down on me and let my body totally relax in my big brother's arms. And for the first time in weeks I felt the feeling that I had longed to feel since that fateful day in the woods: safety. Here, in the arms of those I loved, I was safe. Here, I was home.

I awoke with a massive headache and a strange feeling of being completely wet. I also felt like I was floating, like I was in water. I shook my head, but the motion was slow and I felt resistance. I opened my eyes, but everything was blurry, like I was looking through really thick glass. For a heart-stopping moment my mind flashed back to when I was in the hated pink tube-my second birthplace, if you will. Then, after a few seconds, I realized I was in a bathtub filled with warm water, clothes still on and everything. Okay, that's a good sign. I know this bathtub!I strained to make my eyes focus. And there! That sink!I know that sink.And that mirror.I know this place!

My heart racing, I tried to push myself up into a sitting position in the water, but instantly a pair of strong, green, three-fingered hands were pushing me gently but firmly back down into the blissfully-warm water.

"No you don't, silly bird. No moving until I tell you to," gently chided a tired-yet-happy-looking Donatello. I gave him a weak smile, the best I could muster right then.

"Is that really you?" I croaked. He nodded, putting his hand into the water and stroking my wet hair gently.

"Yes, little sister, it really is me."

"But how? In the woods you were…" I couldn't finish, my voice giving out before I could end my question. He pulled his hand back out and dried it on a nearby towel, giving me a small smile.

"Sedated. And covered in lots of mud and dirt and stuff that can look awfully similar to blood and bruises in the dark. He never actually hurt me, Angel. He just knocked me out, tied me up, and threw some mud on me. By the time I woke up, though, you guys were already gone. But you're here now, so that's all that matters. Let's not think about that stuff right now, hmm?"

I nodded, fighting the urge to fall into my numbing mind place that I had had to disappear to for the past few weeks just to stay sane. Just the thought of the past few weeks was too much to bear. Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Got room for one more?" Asked an orange-clad turtle, peeping his head in through the doorway. My eyes lit up.

"Mikey? Is that you?" I asked, craning my neck to see if it really was him. He gave me a broad smile.

"In the flesh, my dear." He teased, coming in and kneeling down beside the tub. The small room now insanely crowded, Donnie stood and shuffled out of the bathroom, looking me over one last time to make sure I was obediently staying in the bathtub.

"I hope you didn't have too much fun without me while I was gone." I said jokingly. He gave me a sad smile.

"To be perfectly honest none of us have really been able to have much fun while you were…you know. Even April hasn't been able to hang out much."

"How is April?" I asked, suddenly remembering the terrible state she had been in when I was captured. A distant memory of the guard woman admitting she had been the brains behind the whole attack came up and my blood began to boil. "She didn't look too good last time I saw her."

"She's great, actually." Mikey began telling me in very animated tones how April had healed nicely, thanks to Donatello's diligent care. A week or so after I had disappeared she had returned to the city to check in with an actual doctor before returning back to her normal lifestyle.

I couldn't help but laugh when he started describing how insulted Donnie had been when April had first suggested she see an actual doctor before calling herself healed. The motion sent a searing pain through my chest so I quickly stopped, my smile transfiguring into a pained grin. Michelangelo looked alarmed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyes widening in shock. I nodded.

"I'm pretty beat up right now, dear. They weren't very kind to me, to say the least." I said softly, my eyes lowering unconsciously. His face darkened ominously.

"No, they weren't. And they're going to pay for that, believe me. We're all still furious about the whole thing and don't you think for one minute we're letting you out of our sight for the next little while, angelcakes. We're kinda all on super-protective mode right now."

I smiled, the only action I could do right now that didn't bring on a fresh wave of pain. We continued talking, changing to more light-hearted subjects, and Mikey's face brightened perceptibly. Raph entered the room a little while later, demanding he had a turn to talk to me, too. After pouting for a few minutes, Mikey finally obliged, switching places with his older brother. The two of us talked for some time, although admittedly he did most of the talking since I couldn't speak without making my chest yell at me in protest. To my surprise, Leonardo never came by that evening. Eventually, Donnie returned and had to insist that Raph leave so he could do some last checkups on me and get me to bed.

"No way, shell-brains. I'm not letting her out of my sight for the next seven years." Raph rumbled, ignoring my eye-roll. He reached into the water and scooped me up, cradling me like a baby against his chest. "I'll bring her to bed. You just tell me where to go."

"Fine." Don agreed, not wanting to deal with his brother's stubbornness at the moment. "Bring her into our bedroom first and get her some dry clothes. Then take her to her room and make sure she gets tucked in nice and tight. The checkups can wait."

Raphael set off toward the boys' shared bedroom, pausing only briefly to move the strands of heavy oriental beads that hung from the doorframe and separated the room from the rest of the lair. He was very careful not to bump my wings into anything lest he accidentally hurt me. I smiled up at him gratefully when he set me gently on his bed, helping me into a sitting position.

"Turn around while I change, silly goose. I'm pretty confident I can remember how to dress myself." I said, reaching for the pile of clothes at the end of his bed. He looked doubtful, noting the flash of pain that registered on my face as I reached for the clothes.

"Are you sure? I don't want you hurting yourself any more than you already are, kid."

"Absolutely. I'll just be a minute, then you can baby me all you want."

Raph half-frowned one last time, then obediently turned his back, moving to the doorway to block anybody from accidentally coming in. I changed quickly, letting the soaked clothes drop to the brick floor. The dry clothing felt warm on my skin. Raph shifted his weight to the other foot in the doorway, catching my attention. As I looked at his monstrous silhouette in the doorway, a sudden memory flashed across my memory.

"And I thought I was the slowest one on the team!" Raph teased, leaping across yet another rooftop. I was fuming.

"Come on, Raph. You know I can't do this nearly as fast as you can.My wings keep dragging me down when I jump." I called, continuing to chase after him.

"So fly, kid. You know how to." He yelled over his shoulder.I gave an exasperated sigh, rolling under a water tower and getting back onto my feet in less than a second.

"You know I don't. That time with April was just an accident."

"Accident or instinct? Come on, kid. You're a natural.And if you're not there's no way you're gonna make this jump!"

Without a second thought, Raph threw himself over the edge of the sky-scraper we were on, plummeting down to the lower building next door. I came to a screeching halt, looking over the edge of the building frantically.Sure enough, Raph had landed safely on the building and was now waiting for me to follow in his insane footsteps.It wasa huge gap between the buildings, and some sixth sense told me there was no way for my tiny body to make it across without using my wings to glide across. I shook my head, not believing what I was about to do.Didn't Raph know I was still trying to figure this whole flying thing out?

"Come on, little bird! I'll catch you!" Raph called from below, taunting me.I glowered, took one last look at the inky-black night sky, and threw myself over the edge of the building.

I fell. Farther and farther, faster and faster I fell. 'I'm not going to make it!" I thought frantically, watching the lower building quickly advance.I was still twenty feet away horizontally and at this rate, I would miss the building by a good ten feet. Then, on pure instinct, my wings unfurled and I was able to guide myself onto the rooftop and into Raph's outstretched arms.He caught me the moment I landed on the roof, staggering back a few steps as I crashed into him.

"I did it!" I gasped, my face alight with the elation at what I had just done. He gave me a huge grin.

"I never doubted you, kid."

Now, as I sat on top of his bed with my bruised and broken body aching all over, I was overcome with a huge love for this mutant who had become my older brother in the last few months and who had now risked his life to bring me home. All of them had—Leo, Donnie, Mikey, they had all come rushing to my aid. Who was I to deserve such love?

"Thank you, my sentry. You can turn around now." I said, motioning for him to come over. He grunted, approaching the bed and checking me over approvingly.

"You actually look like a normal human being again. Well, as human as you can get, anyway. You've actually got some color in your face again."

"The bath helped, I think" I said, allowing him to lift me into his arms. He carried me into my room, where Donnie and Mikey were already waiting for me. Mikey was sitting cross-legged on my bed, eagerly waiting for me. He held out his arms, silently commanding Raph to hand me over to him. He obliged, transferring me into his younger brother's arms. Mikey sat me down in his lap, cuddling me tightly without hurting me. I chuckled, not fighting him. He turned me around so my wings were against his chest, then wrapped his arms around my waist, effectively trapping me where I was.

"I'm not going anywhere, silly goose." I chided, giving a gentle laugh. He shrugged.

"I'd rather not risk it, angelfish. We lost you once, and I for one would rather not lose you again."

"Nor would I, my son." Said a deep voice from the hallway. My heart leapt.

"Sensei?" I asked, my voice catching. Master Splinter entered the room, his black eyes filled with relief at the sight of me safely in the arms of his sons.

"You are safe, my daughter," He sighed, coming over to the side of my bed. I reached over and wrapped my arms around his neck as best I could, loving the feel of his stringy fur beneath my palms. He wrapped a paw around my back, the other paw holding onto the walking stick he was so fond of. When I finally let go, he turned to Michelangelo.

"Be gentle with her, my son. She has been through a lot in the last few weeks."

"I know, sensei. I'll take care of her. We're all just going to talk for a bit and then we'll let her go to bed."

"Mind if I join?" asked a blue-clad turtle, walking into the room. I smiled broadly.

"About time you showed up, big brother. I was beginning to wonder if they had gotten you, too." I teased. He smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry. I was briefing sensei on our mission."

"Indeed, Leonardo was just giving me the details of their rescue. It sounds like they were most successful," added Splinter, obviously pleased. I nodded, leaning back against Mikey's chest tiredly. I felt suddenly exhausted.

"I'll say. One minute I was in my own personal hell and the next I was being rushed to safely in Leo's arms. A very successful mission, in my opinion." I praised, snuggling deeper into Mikey's arms.

"'Your own personal hell'?" prompted Splinter. I nodded again, this time filled with sadness.

"Yes. They beat me, starved me, and nearly convinced me I was worthless. It was more awful than words can describe. Imagine your deepest fears and put them to life. I got to deal with those every day." I shuddered, a chill running through my body at the awful memories that resurfaced. Mikey squeezed me lightly, reminding me he was right there to protect me now. "But I'm here now, and now I'm safe. Thank goodness."

"Yes, daughter. You are most certainly safe here. You were sorely missed during your absence."

"I'll say," huffed Raph, throwing a look Leo's way. Leo blushed. I looked at his curiously, but he refused to answer. Finally, Donnie answered the unasked question.

"Leo was most insistent we get you back as soon as possible, sometimes pushing us a bit harder than we liked." He explained, grinning mischievously. Leo refused to meet my gaze.

Raph made some teasing comment that sent us all into easy laughter. Splinter retired to his room after a few minutes, saying he needed to meditate. As the minutes passed, everyone settled into more comfortable positions and we talked about pretty much everything there was to talk about. I don't remember when, but at some point I shifted in Mikey's lap and leaned my head against his shoulder, falling asleep almost instantly.

There, listening to his voice rumble through his chest as he joked with the others and hearing their voices surround me like a blanket, I was once again reminded that here I was safe. Here, with four turtles and a girl with wings, was a family that no amount of pain or trial was going to destroy. Here was a family that would last as long as time itself. For nothing could destroy us. Nothing could tear us apart. Because as weird and unusual as we were as individuals, together we were just like everybody else in this crazy, messed up world.

We were a family.