Well, you guys wanted a longer chapter so have this almost-6-pager. It may linger on with the dialogue, but I was hoping to have more character interaction. Please let me know what you think!

Mari woke up to the faint smell of something burning, which overpowered the even fainter smell of bacon. The sun was barely rising and as she lifted her head, her curly hair obstructed the view outside her window. She brushed her hair out of the way and pushed herself off the bed to glance around the room, going over yesterday's events before deciding to get dressed and packed.

Downstairs, April was trying to help fix the mess Raph, Don, and Casey had created when trying to make everyone breakfast. The toast was a very dark brown and the bacon in the pan was beginning to burn on the edges. April got Mikey to run cold water over a new burn on his hand while Casey and Don started to fight over who knew how to make the better pancakes.

"Oh, get out of the way," April ordered, shoving past them as she began to make the batter herself. "None of you are allowed in the kitchen after this."

"Hey, it's not my fault Don can't make a pancake to save his life!"

Don clenched his fists in annoyance and was ready to retort before Marisol showed up in the doorway. Mikey, who was still running his hand under cold water, was the first to greet her.

"Should I have stayed in bed, or do you guys need some help?" she asked cautiously. There was a silence where the only sound was the bacon frying and the water running in the sink.

"You could get these two out of the kitchen before they burn anything else," April grumbled as she turned off the stove so the bacon wouldn't burn anymore. Marisol awkwardly looked at the two, still a little too tired to understand what exactly she was supposed to do.

"Are you making pancakes?" she asked as she moved towards April.

"Well someone had to," she replied, her tone giving away that she was still annoyed. Marisol glanced to the guys behind them as they glared at one another and tried her best to assess the situation.

"Uh, why don't we give April some room to work guys?" she offered, hoping to get them out of the kitchen. Thankfully, she succeeded and they wound up in the living room while Mikey stayed behind to help April finish breakfast.

Casey and Don sat on opposite sides of the couch with their arms crossed and pouted. A fitting question entered her mind, but she figured she should save it for later—if she was even able to stick around long enough to ask. However, she did want to say something to break the awkward silence and tension that filled the air.

"So, I packed up all my stuff, but I'm not sure when you guys wanted me out of your hair…"

Casey looked at her curiously before replying. "Wait, you're actually leaving?"

"I thought I was supposed to," she said with a confused expression. "Wasn't I?" She looked towards Don, who seemed to only be half-interested in the conversation.

"Well, yeah, but I figured you would'a put up some kind of fight. I mean you were here first," Casey continued.

Don finally spoke up then, and his tone also showed he was still annoyed at the boy. "Don't give her any ideas Jones. She still has to leave."

"But not until after breakfast, at least!" Mikey entered the room with two plates filled with bacon and toast and a cheerful smile on his face. "The pancakes are almost all done and April's cooled off now. As long as you guys don't start fighting over who gets to set the table," he half-joked.

"I'll set the table," Mari offered, not wanting the two to start arguing again. She also took the opportunity to talk to April as she gathered the silverware.

"Sorry about that," April said when she noticed Mari enter the room. "Those two can't be in a room together for five minutes before they start fighting. Over the most ridiculous stuff too!"

"It's fine, really," Mari assured her with a small smile. "I was wondering when you wanted me to leave, though," she continued as she hunted for the silverware drawer. "I'd like to stay a little longer but it's not my house… And even if it isn't yours, I'm outnumbered by three so," she continued with a shrug.

"I'm not sure either to be honest," April replied with a shrug as she placed the last of the pancakes on a plate. "But you're welcome to stay for breakfast."

The redhead gave her a smile before moving to set the plate of pancakes on the table, where Mikey had already set down the toast and bacon. Mari returned the smile just as she found the silverware drawer. Upon opening it, she realized the house must have been uninhabited for many years and decided to wash the few forks and spoons still scattered about.

"Is Raph coming down?" April asked once they were all sitting. Don glanced at Mari before letting out a soft sigh of resignation, realizing there wasn't much of a point to keep their other two brothers a secret.

"No. When I went up to tell him breakfast was ready he hardly even replied. I don't think he got much sleep last night."

"I'll go take a plate up to him, then," April said softly as she stood and walked back upstairs with a plate of food.

Mari glanced around at all of them, a question lingering in her mind and her food cooling on her plate as she got up the courage to ask it. "Is Raph a mutant turtle too?"

Mikey and Casey looked towards Don, unsure of how much they should share. Don still seemed a little irritated, but had calmed down a little. "Yes. We're brothers. And we expect that you'll keep all of this to yourself when you leave," he continued as he looked at her. After all, the last thing they needed was more people on their case.

"Where are you gonna go anyway?" Mikey asked curiously.

Mari shrugged, poking at her pancakes with her fork. "I don't know… Not back to the city that's for sure."

"Well, good luck finding some place," Casey offered. "Did you have family in the city?"

"No, thankfully. My parents are in Venezuela right now visiting my Uncle. They're supposed to get back next week though, but I'm not sure what they're planning on doing. I busted my phone on my way up here so I don't exactly have any way of contacting them."

"Venezuela?" Mikey asked, glancing to his brother before looking back at her curiously.

"Yeah," she replied with a small smile. "It's a country in South America. But I was left alone for a few weeks and now there really isn't a home… I don't even know if they know about it."

"Well if you know the number you could use my phone," Casey offered, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

April came back then, glancing at the exchange as she took her seat. "That would actually be really awesome, thanks," Mari replied as she took his phone.

"What's going on?" April asked as Mari stood and left the room to try and call her parents.

"Her phone's busted so she's gonna use mine to call her parents," Casey explained before shoving half a pancake in his mouth.

"Oh, well that's nice of you. Where are her parents?"

As Casey explained what Mari had just told them, Don glanced almost suspiciously into the other room to make sure she was doing what she said she was. Something about her seemed off to him, and he wasn't sure if it was logical, or if it was just because she was a stranger.

He was brought back into the conversation when April spoke to him. "Does she have to leave today, Donnie? It doesn't sound like she's got many options right now and I think we can trust her."

"And what if we need to get supplies or something? We don't have a lot of food," Casey added. "And no offense, April, but I don't think that old van can handle anymore long drives. Her car looks like it's in pretty good shape. Plus I'm guessing she actually has a license."

"I don't know," he started. "Something about her doesn't sit right with me…"

They could make out her mumbled talking as she got through to someone on the phone, and it sounded like she was explaining what was happening in the city.

"Does anyone else find it weird that she doesn't have an accent or is that just me?" Mikey asked curiously, glancing at the others.

Don ignored his question and continued his train of thought. "I guess we don't have to kick her out right away, but… Maybe you should go with her to get some more food," he suggested, looking at Casey.

"Why do I have to go with her?"

"Well if I go, you and Don are probably just gonna tear the house apart," April chimed in.

"Then it's settled, Casey's going with her to get food," Don finalized, sounding happier than he had all morning, and finished his breakfast.

Mikey, who had eaten just about everything on his plate, looked towards Casey. "Make sure you get some pizzas with all the toppings."

"We're probably going to need a lot of things," April started, "Though I'm not sure how exactly we're gonna pay for all of that."

"Don't worry about that, I've got it," Casey replied with a smug and self-assured smirk. "Just tell me what you need."

After breakfast, April and Casey began working on a list of food and other supplies for them to grab as Mari finished her phone call. When they were all done, she was informed of her new task and told that she would be welcome to stay as long as she needed when they were done.

"That seems fair," she replied, looking over the list they were given. "My parents want to get me to Venezuela with them as soon as they can, but I'm not sure where my passport is or how long it'll be to get me a new one," she explained. "So staying here would be great until I can get that sorted out."

"You didn't tell them about us did you?" Don asked, overhearing the conversation from upstairs.

"Of course not," she replied. "They would've panicked more than they did when they heard about what was happening in the city."

"Alright, well you guys should get going. Hopefully the invasion just stayed in the city."

"Here's hoping," Mari replied with a half-smile before she and Casey left to find a store.