DISCLAIMER: I do not own turtles, not even here at home. I do own a new, though. Yet, I highly doubt it knows ninjitsu. A Ninja Newt. Hmm…now there's an idea. Just the same, I only own the story and nothing else. Be blessed.

CHAPTER 4 – Ninja Quiet?

Beth had just made it inside her apartment with the groceries and sword, when she heard a noise coming from behind her. By her estimation, it sounded as if it came from the stairs that led to the fifth level. Although the noise was similar to the squeaks the boards in the hallway floor made, it was different enough to catch her attention. It also seemed vaguely familiar to her.

She stood stock-stilll then,andher eyes went wide at the sudden realization, just as a shiver of fear ran up her spine. In that moment, she remembered what would have made such a noise.

Along the stairs leading to the fifth level, two steps had noticeable squeaks along thesection that jack-knifed up to the fifth story. For Beth, she always knew whenever someone was using them. However, the last time she had heard the squeakswas six months earlier when the last of the fifth-floor tenants had moved out. As far as Beth knew, the superintendent had not been able to find new renters.

She was also aware of the fact that she had been alone in the stairwell just a moment ago. The girl was certain if there wasn't anyone going up, it surely meant that no one should be coming down.

Whipping around and almost dropping her groceries and the sword, she stood there by the threshold, holding her breath. Using her foot, she slowly closed the door, the soft click of the striker echoing in the hallway outside as it latched. Then,Beth shifted a bag in her right arm, reaching out with her free hand to turn all three locks into place. As she leaned in, pressing her ear to the wood, she stilled her breathing againas she listened.

"Who in the world would be coming down those steps?" she asked herself, feeling her heart beginning to race.

Quickly looking over at her sleeping guest, Beth was relieved to find that he had not stirred. In fact, he seemed to be in the same position he had been in before she left.

Curious, she glanced over at the coffee table and noticed that the water and aspirin were still where she had put them. It seemed to heras if the creature had slept the entire time while she was gone. Now, she was more econcerned for his welfare than before. Considering how much he had moanedbefore she left, Beth expected to see at least an arm or a leg in a different position. However, now where he didn't seemed to have moved at all, her worry intensified.

Recalling the bruising along his head and how he had complained of having a headache,Beth knew that he might be suffering from a concussion. If that was true, thenkeeping him awake would have been better for him in the long run than allowing him to fall sleep. Yet, it was important to getsupplies, where she didn't have any way of feeding him or herself. Leaving the creature unattended was unavoidable, forthere wasn't any other way for Beth to getto the store other than goingherself.

But then, the noise from the stairwall gave her a new kind of concern.

As she went back to regarding the the hallway outside her door, she listened one last time, her ear pressed to the wood. Hearing only the frantic beat of her own heart, the girl concluded that the sound must have been from something else. With everything occuring that evening, maybe her paranoia was acting up again. The sword was definitely a good enough reason for that to happen, especially where it had been coated in blood. Considering what that might mean, she looked over at the creature again,her anxiety growing justa little more.

Then she thought about when she had passed through the alleyway, the feeling that someone had been watching her. Considering her experience from five years earlier, Beth had become quite hypersensitive to certain things, especially her proximity to people. With that said, she was quite certain someone had been in the alley behind her, possibly hiding in the shadows. Despite the fact she hadn't been able to see anything when she looked, that feeling still persisted even now. Yes, she might be paranoid, but it was a fact that had kept her safe these last few years, too.

Shaking her head, she tried to dispel the panic rising inside of her, now. Where she was safe in her apartment, Beth knew she was only overreacting. Just the same, it would not be a good time for her to go catatonic again. She needed her wits and she needed to stay alert, just in case.

With her ear still pressed against the cool wood of her door and just as she decided that the sound had only been her imagination, she heard it again – only, this time, it was louder. She was certain,now, thatthe squeak had come from the stairs leading up to the fifth floor. she backed away, then, and turnedaround, walking over and gingerly placing her groceries on the coffee table next to the couch. Beth then carefully slipped the sword out from under her cloak to lay it quietly down on the floor next to the table.

Slowly, she turned back around to face her front door once again.

She staredat it apprehensively, not sure what to do as she stood there for a long pregnant moment,. Finally, after taking a deep breath, she cautiously approached the door. She took one hesitant step after another, her breathing coming in thin, sporadic gasps. Then, an all too familiar feeling of panicgripped at her throat again.

"No, keep way…" she commanded, swallowing deeply. "You're not going to do this to me, again" she threatened it silently.

Bracing herself as she eased up to her closed door, she ran her hand softly against the aged wood. She feltits coolness, reveling in the sensation, and trying to focus on that rather than on what was going on inside of her. Then, she gently pressed her ear to the door.

Beth listened and held her breath.

As the step protested beneath his right foot, Raphael froze and held his breath, as did his two brothers. Mike and Donwere right behind him, equally as concerned with the unexpected noise. Then, all three heard the sound of a door closing, its t was as ifthe person closing the door did so in order.

Looking back at Mike and Don, Raph held up two fingers – second step from the top.He then pointed towards the fourth floor. They nodded inunderstandingand as their brother gingerly continued his descent down the staircase,Mike and Don followed along. Approachingthestep in question,they successfully avoided the one riser that betrayed their presence seconds earlier.

Now, three shadowed figures made their way silently down the stairs, taking each step with deliberation. Fortunately, for them, the ceiling light from the fifth floor hallway had burned out months ago. Despite the scant illuminationseeping upfrom the fourth level below,there were enough shadows were to sufficiently hide them. Unconcerned,they confidently continued their descent.

Suddenly, as they neared the midway point of their downward journey to the fourth level, Raph found yet another loose board and in the same fashion as he had with the first.

This time, its protest seemed even louder.

Cringing and swearing under his breath, the red-banded turtle glared back at his two brothers and shook his head. Raph then held up one finger and smirked.

Mike sniggered silently and Don rolled his eyes disapprovingly fromRaphael's profane gesture. Yet, his message was quite clear – avoid the one step just before the landing.

After a moment, all three turtles found themselves standing on the fourth level and breathing easier, too.

Now, as they walked silently into the hallway, Raph quickly noted he hadthree apartments to choose in order to determine which one his brother was in.

The first was just beyond them, along the left side of the hallway where they had come off the stairs. He studied the door for a moment and then looked around at the other two. Noticing that none had a peephole, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Just the same, he almost anticipated at least one person looking out from one of the apartments , just to see what had made the noise. To him, the squeaks had been deafening, where he always worked in silence. Therefore,any noise would have been too much as far as he was concerned.

When Raph was sure no one had heard them and wouldn't charge out of their apartment, he walked cautiously up to the first door. Along the way, he kept himself mindful of the unpredictable nature of the wooden floor, testing each with every step he took.

Once he had made it successfully it to his destination and without making any noise, he gently pressed his ear to the door and then listened. Raph could hear heated bickering coming from inside. It seemed to bebetween two people – a man and a woman, by his account. He reasoned that they were probably a husband and wife. Raphael could also discern the woman yelling about the husband's drinking and paycheck, so it was a good bet that he had consumed his week's wages at the local bar before coming home that evening. The turtle sighed and wondered why men did this to their mates. Despite Raphael's own struggle with honor, he had far more honor than doing something like that to someone he loved.

Then, Raph heard a baby's cry. He glanced back at Mike and Don, shaking his head 'no'. They concurred with a similar gesture and accepted accepted his discernment that the person they were looking for was not in the first rental.

Then, Raphael looked to his right and studied the second door. This one seemed to be getting the most illumination from the ceiling light in the hallway. He focused just a little, smiled, and thenlooked over towards the third apartment farthest away and closest to the next set of stairs. Studying apartment 4A, Raphwas certain that whoever lived there was just as oblivious his and his brother's presence as those in apartment 4C were.

Raphael thennodded towards Don.

Don cautiously moved further into the hall. He looked up at the light fixture and then back to Mike. Mike hurried overto join him. Lacing all six of his fingers together, he cupped his hands to create a foothold for Donatello, who thenstepped into the make shift lift, with Raph coming up behind him for support. With Raph's assistance, Mike hefted Don up to the fixture, and then - just to be cheeky -rolled his eyes in mock agony.

Raph glared a threat at his younger brother and mouthed, "Knock it off!"

Mike grinned wide and then gave an innocent shrug. Working in silence didn't necessarily mean one could not enjoy the moment.

Just the same and with one finely tuned glare from Raphael, Mike went back to work at keeping his purple-masked brother steady.

Gingerly and quietly, Don unwound the bulb just enough to where it stayed in its receptacle. With the connection lost between it and the electrical current, deep shadows now filled the hallway. Only the light coming through the stairwell from the third level and from under each of the three doors compromised the dark.

Once Don was standing back down on the floor again, Raphael walked silently over to apartment 4A, the one closest to the next set of stairs. He huggedthe wall as close as he could, certain with the uneven appearance of the floor that he would find mor squeaks there.He worked quickly, but carefully, mindful of each step he took.

When he finally came to the apartment in question, he pressed his ear to the wood and listened for a moment. Then, turning around.he smiled back at his brothers, mouthing,"Snoring." It was obvious the person inside was sleeping. Then, Raphael inclined his head towards apartment 4B

Raph scowled, however, for he knew that there were three more floors below them to consider. He also knew that the mystery person could be on any one of them. With the fifth floor vacant, it made things a little easier, but not by much. Yet Raph knew they had to work fast, to find the correct door,before someone waltzed unexpectedly out of their apartment.

Yet, as he thought abouttheir descent and then hearingadoor latch closed, Raph was certain it came fromthe fourth level, and even more so since it occured right afterhe had activated the squeak onthe stairs. Maybe it was his gut instinct or hopeful anticipation, but whatever it was, Raphael knew the woman with his brother's katana was in the middle apartment and on the same floor where they now stood. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. By his estimation, it would have probably taken her as much time to climb the stairs as it did for him and his brothers to decide on checking out the building. It was more likely, then, that she had justwalked intoher apartment when they began their journey down from the fifth floor.

He nodded once towards the door in question, lettingDonnie and Mike know what he suspected. They, in turn,nodded, too, agreeingwith his choice. Once Raph made it back to where his brothers were, all three soon gathered in front of the target apartment.

Silently, Raph walked up to the door, carefully puttinghis ear to the wood. He listened. For a moment, he furrowed his eye ridges, as if he trying to hear something. Then, he looked over at his brothers and, with a raised eye ridge, smiled.

Jackpot!

He could not sense Leonardo, but Raph could definitely sense fear on the other side of the door. He could also hear several quick intakes of air, as if someone seemed out of breath. Yet, fear was an easy emotion for him to discern. He knew that whoever the woman was amd who had taken his brother's sword, she was quite afraid. He had easily sensed her emotions from the alleyway. As he stood there and discerned the sounds coming from the other side of the door, it wasn't lost on Raphael that she wasstanding therelistening and in the same way that he was! In fact, if it weren't for the wood separating them, he and the woman would have been ear to ear.

It was obvious the squeak he made earlier had alerted her. He scowled, angry with himself, but he kept his temper in check; now was not the time to lose it.

Gently, Raphael placed a hand on the doorknob, gripping it lightly. If she so much as touched it, he would know and he wanted to be readyto move quickly, just in case she decided to open the door. He looked back at his brothers, giving them a shallow nod and, in that way, Raph told them to move quickly if it became necessary. Then, returning his attention to the door, he narrowed his expression a little, as he focused on the woman's emotional state.

He could sense she was quite worried and mentallyunsteady, as if she was battling some inner turmoil. For only a moment, he caught an almost psychotic fear – and that worried him. He had a choice to make, then. If she was indeed mentally unstable, she might pose a threat to Leonardo, that is if he was indeed inside her dwelling. If he wasn't, then barging in could prove disasterous. So, Raphael decided to err on the side of caustion and just keep to the task of reconoitering the area.

He looked over at Donnie and scowled, mouthing his word as he lipped, "Terrified."

For just a moment, Raphael silently thanked his sensei for pushing him to better his discernments in such matters. He wasn't as good as Leo, yet, and maybe he never would be, but Raph was content to have even a little bit of the ability to determine someone's chi.

He then took a deep breath and quietly let it out. He tilted his head down just a little in concentration and tried to gain even more sensitivity. When he was certain of his decision, he looked back again at Donnie and Mike, nodding his head as his mouth formed two words, "Later...asleep." It was only then when Raphael released the doorknob from his grasp.

After re-engaging the light bulb into its socket, the illumination fell greedly over the floor and along the walls of the hallway. The trio of mutants thenreturned to the stairs leading back up to the fifth floor. This time, they successfully avoided the two noisy steps,quickly finding their way back up totherooftop without incident.

Once they were safely outside, Raphael finally spoke aloud but kept it to a whisper, "Can't tell if Leo's in the apartment. I can sense somethin's in there othah than that woman, but it's too vague. If it's Leo…" Raph sighed and then said, "Well, I know fer a fact that the person in the second apartment is definitely the one I followed earlier. She's giving off the same kind'a paranoia I sensed from her in thealley, which means that she's terrified. Not sure why, unless she peaked out her door and saw us."

"How, though? We didn't come down the stairs until after she was inside her apartment." Mike commented.

"Those steps squeaked pretty loud, Mike," Donnie explained, "It's quite possible she heard them if she didn't have her door closed, yet. Given the fact that it looked as if no one has lived on the fifth floor for a while, I'm sure she would consider any noise coming fromthere to be suspect." He looked back at the access door, "Getting in was pretty easy. Plus, the tenants living here would know that anything coming down those stairs would not belong there."

Raph pondered that thought for a moment, but then he looked over at his brothers, "Doesn't mattah if she suspects or not; she has t'sleep sometime. We'll go back to the lair and let Splintah know what we've found. Then, after a few hours, we'll return. By then, she should be asleep."

"Breaking and entering?" Donnie asked worriedly.

"To find Leo, you bet!" Raph seethed. "If he's in there, we're taking him. If not, we'll take the sword."

Raphael then went silent as he led his brothers back to the alleyway along the roof. They leaped effortlessly over the narrow byway, landing softly a top of the next series of apartment. The three turtles then turned right and headed north along the row of buildings. They stayed within the shadows as they quickly headed back towards their lair and to where their anxious father waited for them.

Along the way and as Donnietook notice of theappliance he had seen earlier,Raph hissed out, "Don, leave the microwave. We don't have time fer that."

"Hey, we can always use one more!" came his brother's whiney protest.

"You pick that contraption up and I'll be puttin' you down. Get mov'n." Raph growled out.

"Fine, fine…" Don grumbled as he moved away from the appliance. "But just wait until the one we've got blows a fuse, then' you'll be sorry."

"Keep naggin' at me and I'll blow fuse, then you'll be the one who's sorry."

"Hey, just chill, I can come back later for it." Don finally relented, "Sheesh, Leo's gone for a few hours and already you're bossing us around."

Raph smirked to himself, yet never slowed his pace. He and his two brothers resumed the rest of their way home in complete silence, yet their mind fully on retrieving their wayward brother.

COMMENTS: Well, I'm still blown away by the response to this story. It all started out as a request from a friend and, quite honestly, I'm not certain where it will lead. Yeah, I know, that's a recipe for writer's block. I do have ideas, though, so don't worry. Either way, I'd like to thank Pacphys, Kuroi Neko-kun, Lunar Ninja, Katana-Babe, Eagle20401,Pretender Fanatic, Mickis, Lioness-Goddess, Mystic Mewtew, Ramica, Ana the Romantic, Chibiroseangel, and NemesisMuse for reading and for your reviews. I appreciate all readers and, of course, I delight in any review that any of you care to leave in the comment box.

As for the questions that some of you asked, I will explain – maybe - how Leo was injured. Also, I already had that squeaky stairway in mind regarding the guys, believe me! Raph has leadership abilities, he just prefers being an arse when Leo's around! LOL

As for how Beth will react when she finally meets the rest of the family? Hmm…give me another chapter and I might tell. Oh, and I'm not the least bit offended about one of you not being a Leo fan. Personally? I like Donnie the best. Raph is next, then Leo and Mike tie for third. Yet, it's so close between all four of them that I'm pretty easy when it comes to what TMNT focus a story is centered on. As long as it's interesting, I'm easy.

Thanks for reading. Be blessed.