Just the regular things to report…

TMNT are property of Mirage; I do not owe them or make any profit with this story (then I would update much more frequently!).

Great thanks to Cynlee for beta-reading and corrections!

Chapter 12: Talking

"May I enter?"

Her words hovered in the room. For a split second he was tempted to ignore her. Then he nodded, hesitant, then immediately shook his head vehemently. She could not even see him at all!

He breathed deeply, then he said: "Yes, of course."

Tally came in and closed the door behind her. Splinter watched her carefully, and then he remembered his good manners, jumped up and offered her a seat. She sat down across from him. While he had given her a cushion, her fingers had run over his hand. He felt the smoothness of her skin, saw her hair gleaming and smelled again this specific scent- and felt his nervousness rising. He swallowed hard and looked away, searching in his mind for an innocent topic of conversation- and hoped that his voice wouldn't tremble.

Tally watched him while he sat down again. He moved in a unique, totally self-controlled way, avoiding every unneeded move. She hadn't been that close to him since her first ninjitsu lesson. For a brief second, he looked straight in her eyes; once again she was astonished by the strength, which seemed to belie his age .

Finally Splinter broke the silence. "What is the matter, Ms. Brown?"

His voice sounded odd- croaky, although he was so much better. She briefly worried, and then she made a face. "First of all, I would really prefer it if you call me Tally again."

Splinter nodded slightly but stayed silent otherwise. "Well, and-"

CRASH!

Both winced, as something in the dojo caused an ear-splitting noise. The rattle sounded metallic. Tally looked inquiring at Splinter, who sighed deeply. "That sounded like the pedestal for the katana and naginata", he commented.

When he opened the door of his room, Michelangelo was already putting the weapons on the pedestal. The cause of the noise - a basketball - lay to one side. Splinter looked at the scene. Mikey froze instantly, squeezing out "It was an accident", then the rat crossed over to his student, picked up the ball, muttered "Clean this up, we will talk later" and went back to his room, where he pushed the ball into a corner.

Tally could hardly restrain herself from laughing. Mike's freezing pose, while holding sharp weapons in both hands, looked so funny that she desired a camera. When Splinter turned his back to him, Mikey grinned at her and Tally waved back. Then he hastily cleaned up and glanced wistfully in the direction of his confiscated basketball. Luckily, he had two more.

Splinter was almost thankful for the break his son had provided him. He was so confused at the moment; he hardly knew what to do.

Tally asked from behind: "Maybe we should talk in a more quiet place. What about a walk?"

He turned around, astonished. "In the sewers?"

She shrugged. "Why not? Can't be worse!"

Slightly overstrained with this whole situation, he agreed.

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They walked alongside through the pipes. There was very little water in them. Tally listened to the sound of her sneakers - splish splash- and to Splinter's nearly noiseless footsteps.

"Don't you get cold feet?" she asked abruptly, pointing at his bare feet.

Splinter chuckled. "I'm used to it. But I hope you're not freezing?"

Tally shook her head. "It's surprisingly warm, although it's nearly December."

"It's always warmer down here than in the streets above. During the winter, some homeless people come down here; we have to be more careful then. But the temperature hasn't dropped down to freezing yet, so it should be safe right now. Now right, please."

Tally followed Splinter's instructions, and soon-

"Wow! That's beautiful!"

Tally was amazed. They walked through an old, shut-down subway station. It was dusty and run-down, but she could still see the pillars, the tiling, and the mosaics on the walls. "How long has this station been abandoned?"

"I do not know. Sixteen years ago it looked the same. There are a lot of places like this- the subway and the sewer system is even more complex than the streets on the surface, and they reach very deep into the earth. There are some natural caves, too."

Tally turned around. "And you have explored this all?"

"Just a very small part. But I never forget a way I already walked on."

They left the subway station and moved on, falling silent for the moment. But this time, Tally enjoyed it. It was strange, her life was practically in shards, but nevertheless- she felt almost happy. She glanced at the mutant walking beside her. How could she have ever thought of him as of an animal? She had hardly ever met anyone with such a fascinating personality, even if his over-politeness could be annoying. Curious about what he would show her next, she followed him deeper into the sewer system.

The tubes became smaller and lower. Tally had to duck down, otherwise she wouldn't fit through. Splinter merely lowered his head. And again, Tally could not feel something other than full admiration, when she watched his dexterity and self-assurance. Whatever had bothered and distracted him these last days, it seemed to be gone now. For a few seconds, she remembered that she was following a giant talking rat through the biggest maze on earth, and that she would be totally lost if he abandoned her. Then she smiled lightly. She realized that she absolutely trusted him.

From time to time, Splinter glanced at the woman walking- and crouching- besides him and noticed she was watching him, too. He had enjoyed showing her that old subway tunnel and giving her an insight to his world. The sewers did not have to be filthy and rotten, there was beauty, too- at least as long as one stayed away from the wastewater disposal lines and followed only the rainwater pipes and the subway and servicing tunnels.

They fell silent, but this time it felt different. It was a peaceful silence, like between friends which understand each other without words. His sensitive ears caught the sound of her breathing, of her clothes brushing against the wall. He hoped the fabric wouldn't suffer too much. He was long used to walking in this environment and barely got stuck somewhere.

They reached an open place, where several pipes intersected. High over Tally's head was a drain. Splinter stopped and looked about, as if he had to remember where he was. Tally swallowed hardly. He hadn't forgotten the way, had he?

Then he turned around and smiled at Tally. "This is the place where my sons and I first met each other. I came through that drain after I had witnessed the accident, and there" he pointed at the ground "was the ooze."

He kneeled down and reached out with his hand, as if he could still see the small turtles paddling helplessly in the mutagenous liquid. Lost in thought as he was, he flinched lightly when Tally touched his shoulder. He smiled at her, than he stood up and sighed.

Tally knew without any doubt what was in his mind. "They do not stay small forever."

"No… they don't". Splinter agreed. "But although I wondered every evening why my fur was still grey, I wouldn't had wanted to live without them… I couldn't have. I needed them as much as they needed me… I still do." He looked at the wall, deep in memory.

Splinter smiled absently while he remembered. His life had really changed that moment- for the better. Although he missed his "baby turtles" sometimes, he was proud of what they had become- strong and responsible. They kicked over the traces sometimes, but he could not blame them- they were teenagers. He loved them dearly, no matter what.

They kept moving, Tally followed Splinter trustfully through the confusing labyrinth of tunnels, until Splinter stopped again, this time in front of a hole in the wall.

"What's that?" Tally asked and Splinter answered softly: "This was my first burrow- our first lair".

Tally looked at the maybe two cubic meters big hole. It was hardly big enough to hold Splinter, but him and the four Turtles… "You must have been much smaller then", she commented.

"Indeed. But it was sixteen years ago. At that time, we were still more or less normal."

"So your mutation was sixteen years ago, and before that you were a normal rat, is that true?"

Splinter nodded. He had already told her and didn't understand what she was up to, especially when she suddenly snorted with laughter. She laughed so hard that she had to support herself at the wall.

"Tally? Is everything all right?"

She just laughed harder, and when she was finally able to answer him, she was interrupted by new outbursts.

"Sorry, I… buahaha … I … just realised… Heck, Splinter, you're much younger than me!"

And she sank to ground, still laughing, while Splinter stood beside her, with a totally confused look on his face, which did not exactly help her to calm down.

Tally needed a few minutes to quiet down. Finally she was calm enough to sit down next to Splinter on the rim of their first lair. But Tally was not willing to give it a rest.

"Honestly, how old were you as a rat?"

Splinter shrugged. "I do not know. Time had no meaning for me back then. A few years, I would guess."

"Let's say between three and five. Plus sixteen… Hey, maybe you're still underage!" Tally started to giggle again.

"You forget something in your calculation. My sons were babies when we came into contact with the ooze, but I was already an adult in rat years. Sixteen plus something between forty and fifty would be adequate, I suppose. By the way, how old are you?"

Tally smiled mischievously. "There are two questions you must never ask a woman- how old she is, and what's her weight. Better for you health, believe me. But I'm thirty- two."

"Were you born here?"

"Yes, in New York. Single child. I studied here as well, never really left the city. You're from Japan?"

"From Tokyo, but I do not remember much from that time… Besides, I was mostly in the house of my master."

"Your owner."

"It does not feel… right to speak about him in such a way. He was more for me, and I for him. Even as rat I felt so."

Tally doubted it, but didn't want to argue. For a moment they fell silent and watched the water streaming under their feet. Then Tally spoke again.

"Somehow you're lucky. You have no duties to run after, no job which drives you mad, no trouble with insurances and taxes, the police; you're unaccountable. Must be nice…"

Splinter did not take this statement as personal, but as a lament from someone whose life was practically in shards.

"I'm free to starve, to freeze to death in the winter, to be shot by a scared policeman. I may not have human duties, but I do not have human rights either. And I am responsible for my family."

Tally nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to insult you, it's just…."

Splinter understood. He placed a hand on her arm gently to reassure her, but Tally clung to his arm as if to her very life.

"I'm sorry", she whispered, barely able to restrain herself, "the last two weeks and everything… It was just a little bit too much."

Splinter noticed that she fought back her tears, and so he said nothing, just offering her company and comfort, and that was everything Tally wanted for the moment.