Disclaimer - Only own Beth. Everyone else is subject to someone else.

I finally had a bit of inspiration. Not much of a chapter, sort of a segue to a better one, hopefully. Not much concerning the TMNT's either, but it is part of the package. Have to follow through with the turn of events in as natural a way as I can write it. The next one ought to be a little more interesting, but I wanted to set in motion what Beth might do next. What that is will be as much a mystery to me as it might be to you. :0)

Either way, I appreciate your patience with how long I've taken to update. If you find any discrepancies, don't be shy in telling me about it. After all, it has been a while since I last added to this story. Would have helped if I had kept a log of all pertinent facts, yes? LOL

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Chapter 44 - Home Again

As expected, by the time her friends had brought her back to her neighborhood, the police were already at Beth's apartment. With a two cruisers parked haphazardly in front of her building along Greenwich, their lights of blue, red, and yellow flashed like beacons against the dark of night, throwing an undulating brilliance of color against the line of aged brownstone apartments. They illuminated the area with an attention-getting display, announcing to the locals that something important had happened there. Moreover, the familiar yellow police tape marked off the steps leading up to Beth's building and, in response, a sizeable crowd had gathered around the make shift barrier.

However, some of those in the crowd began wandering away from Beth's apartment. Gradually, more and more people began returning to whatever activity they were doing before the police arrived. It seemed that most of the investigation had already taken place, with only a pair of officers remaining at the scene to provide an authoritative presence. What people remained obviously didn't have anything better to do for the present time than to watch and wonder what had happened.

As she watched p from where she waited, "What am I to do, now?" Beth asked. Currently, she and her four friends were across the street, hiding in the shadow-rich area of the rooftop, as they observed the scene across the street below. They were deep in shadow, too, and virtually invisible to anyone who might look their way.

"What we suggested you do," Leo offered her a smile, "We take you up the street and get you to ground. Then, you just walk to your apartment, introduce yourself to one of the officers, and let them know what building you live in. That will get his attention and when he realizes you're the missing tenant, then you tell him what we suggested, that a stranger helped you get away, but he didn't give you his name."

"But, Leo, will they believe me?"

Mike chortled, "Hey, if you tell 'em your hero wore a hockey mask and carried a baseball bat, they might. And then you can't tell 'em what he looked like."

"What?" The girl stared at the mutant in orange, quite confused.

Giving his younger brother a firm rap along his head, Raph laughed softly, as he looked over at Beth, "Casey's trademark equipment, back when me and him kept the streets safe, before his - incar'sration."

"Oh." Beth looked thoughtfully at the turtle and realized she had just learned something new about her old assailant. She even harrumphed in surprise.

"Well, time's a wastin'," Raphael exclaimed, turning heel as he made for the back part of the roof. As he made his way across the other buildings and headed for the far end of the block, Don, Mike, and Leo, with Beth holding onto her friend's hand, followed likewise.

A while later, the four brothers watched from across the street, huddling along the same rooftop they had been on only moments earlier. Once again, keeping their profiles low and within the shadows there, they crept as close as they could to the edge of the building. From their vantage point, they observed Beth's approach far below. They watched as she worked her way up the street towards the crowd, hesitating now and then, as her old 'demons' seemed to overwhelm her. There was a moment as she wormed her way through the throng of people when all four brothers thought for sure she would turn tail and book it out of there. However, Beth seemed to take a deep breath and persevere. When she came to a point where she could address the police officers, the turtles began to relax a little more.

"She's come a long way, to do that!" Don smiled appreciatively, keeping his voice low.

Leo clapped his hand along his brother's arm, "Yes, I think she'll recover, Donnie. It may be slow, but I believe in her."

In any event, their keen hearing allowed them to listen in, as she told the officer her name, why she had disappeared, and then she asked if things were safe again.

Of course, the policeman wanted identification from her. As Leo had instructed, Beth told him that she didn't have time to grab her license before her rescuer took her to safety. So the officer motioned to his co-worker and, after the two men engaged in a brief discussion, the second officer immediately slipped into one of the cruisers to make a call on his two-way. Leo could hear the man call in for the investigative unit. The turtle in blue turned slightly to his brothers as he explained, "He's getting the CSI guys back on the scene again."

"You think they have her apartment still cordoned off?" Mike asked, easing closer to the edge, yet staying within the protective shroud of the shadows.

Don replied, "That would be protocol until they can figure out what happened, until their investigation is over with, so - that's a 'yes', Mikey."

"Ya think she's gonna be safe, though," Raph queried, "I mean, we can always include her place in our patrols, but...now that th'Foot knows her affli'ation with us an' all." The turtle growled, "Still, if they bother Beth again..." and Raphael cracked his knuckles in anticipation of knocking a few Foot heads together.

Leo sighed, "We take this one day at a time, guys. We wait to see what the police are going to do first."

"Jus' don't want anythin' more t'happen t'the girl." Raph couldn't help but allow concern to his edge words.

Leo smiled and nodded in silent agreement, then continued to watch Beth talk with the police.

Beth was frustrated. She thought for sure the police would at least escort her to her apartment. But, it seemed that until the detective and CSI arrive, she couldn't. So, she resigned herself to sitting on the steps of her building's front entry and wait. Unfortunately, the policeman chose to stand to one side of her, apparently guarding her, with his hand at the ready on the heel of his gun. Although his close proximity to Beth made her feel nervous and wish she was back with Leo, again, the man didn't pay her any mind, but kept watch over the crowd.

And it seemed that the crowd waited more expectantly, now, too. Beth wondered, then, if maybe she should be concerned, that maybe there were more of the Foot lurking about and the authorities were currently looking for them. She really didn't know what had happened after Casey and her friends took her to safety. Did some of the Foot get away? Were they waiting for her return? Maybe they were aware of her friends?

Suddenly, an all too familiar feeling began to overtake her. Quickly, Beth employed what Splinter had taught her and, so, she pushed it away. She recognized it as only a thought and so she ignored it, focusing her mind on her friends who, by now, were probably watching from the rooftop across the street. She realized that if there were any danger, the policeman would have taken her to safety. Of course, the fact that Beth's friends would be fully aware of any threat and would make sure it didn't reach her, gave the girl confidence, too.

While she sat there, Beth managed to glance occasionally towards the apartments across the street. She would allow her eyes to drift upwards, doing so as if stargazing. She didn't want to draw attention from the police to what she was looking at, yet she hoped to see her friends, too. She wanted some reassurance that they were there and still watching over her, especially Leo. She didn't seem them of course, at least not right away. Since the buildings across the street were taller than her row of apartments, the rooftops rested above the streetlamps, affording deeper shadows. It finally occurred to her how effective they were to use for hiding.

Then, a subtle glint of metal, like a beacon, blinked through the darkness, but only for a second. It was quick and went undetected by everyone, everyone except for one expectant girl.

Beth smiled a little, "Leo's sword?" she wondered hopefully. It had to be, she reasoned, and it comforted her to know that they were there, still watching over her. She gave a subtle nod, very discrete, but enough to acknowledge the signal. She half-expected one more, to affirm her, but when none came, she understood. It was enough that Leo had risked the first one.

After a while, two unmarked cars arrived and parallel parked along the curb. A detective, wearing a suite and tie, climbed out of the first car, while flack-jacketed CSI personnel quickly exited the other. As they made their way towards Beth and the officer protecting her, she stood up.

"Are you the tenant from Apartment 5B?" the detective asked.

"Yes, but I told the officer that my identification is upstairs."

The man smiled and motioned towards the complex with a hand, "Well, let's get this party going, then."

Beth led the way up the front steps to her apartment building, with the officer, the detective, and the two CSI officials following from behind. A few minutes later, Beth and the others stepped onto the fourth floor landing and it was there that Mrs. Edwards greeted her full on from the opened doorway of her apartment.

"My dear," the old woman rushed the girl and grabbed her hands, ignoring the disapproving glare from the policeman. With her eyes brimming with tears, "I was so worried for you, not knowing if they had killed you."

"I am fine, really." Beth tried to take her hand back, but the elderly woman's grip was quite persistent.

"I didn't see who took you. Was it that man who grabbed my umbrella? It all happened so fast," Mrs. Andrews chuckled some as she hurried on, "I couldn't even give the nice policeman a very good description, other than what that man was wearing." Then the old woman's face grew more serious, "But when I saw all those men in black pajamas, when that man told me to stay inside, I didn't care at that point. I couldn't close my door and lock it fast enough! That was when I called the police!" She beamed hugely, quite proud of her bravery to do such a thing.

Surprisingly, Beth could feel Mrs. Andrew's hand begin to tremble a little. The memory of the event was obviously all too traumatizing for the elderly woman. For a moment, Beth felt sorry for the old woman, understanding all too well the kind of fear she probably experienced.

With a wavering voice, her neighbor continued, "When...I thought the fight was over, I - I tried to open my door, but it wouldn't at first; it seemed - stuck! When I finally got it opened, everyone was gone but for a few of those strange men." Her eyes grew large then, "They were knocked out and lying all over the foyer here!" She waved her hand around to indicate the area just in front of Beth's doorway. "Did you know them?" the woman asked.

"No, I - I don't think so..." Beth looked up into the officer's face, "and that other man just sort of appeared, I don't know who he was. However, I have seen the other men before, at least someone like them. It was a few days earlier. A couple of them were under arrest at Seventh and Greenwich. I was on my way to the store and saw that the police had already put one of the men in a squad car. Maybe they're part of a gang?" Beth was doing her best to remain calm, trying to keep from spacing out and, surprisingly, she seemed to be doing rather well.

"Ma'am, I can't say anything about that, but maybe the detective can." The officer then looked to the man in the suit.

The detective smiled and then shrugged a little, "Right now, we're trying to get things straightened out, but…" and here the suited man smiled, "you'll be glad to know, we're very close to shutting that particular gang down - hopefully permanently. If not for those who tried to rob you, we would still be working to that end. But, let's go to your apartment, first; I'll explain more."

Yet it seemed that Mrs. Edwards wasn't quite finished. "My dear!" the woman interrupted, still holding onto Beth's hands, "if you're too frightened to stay by yourself tonight," Beth could feel the tremor again in the woman's grasp and it worsened just a little, "you are more than welcomed to use my spare bedroom. I won't mind at all and I would love the company."

"I...um…well, I - ah - have to think about it." Beth replied, managing to slip her hand from the woman's loosening grip. She smiled, now, and began to see that her neighbor was just someone who was lonely and as scared as she was. For the first time since living there, she began to understand Mrs. Edwards. Beth then turned to follow the officer and detective as the headed down the hallway towards her apartment. Before she could go into her rental though, the CSI personnel had to remove the yellow tape from around her opened front door.

Persistently, Mrs. Edwards called out again, a little louder this time, her desperate pleading causing Beth to slow her walk, "I prayed for your safety, my dear, and I'm so glad that you're all right. Still, I would imagine that you would not want to be alone right now."

Beth did feel a little hesitancy about that. The thought of being alone, now, after having lived the past couple of days with her strange new friends, didn't seem so inviting. So, she managed a polite reply, turning to address the woman, "Thank you, Mrs. Edwards, but let me finish with the detectives, first, before deciding."

Mrs. Edwards smiled hugely, obviously quite pleased, "At least come in for some tea. I have cake, too, if you would like…and…and we can have it on china!"

There was something regarding the woman's sincere invitation that tugged at Beth's heart. It was a need the woman had for company, something that Beth had rediscovered herself. She glanced back and saw the widest, expectant smile on her neighbor's face, so Beth couldn't help, but smile in return. Then the officer said, "This way, miss," and so she continued into her apartment.

As Beth looked over the mess in her living room, with her overturned table and the sofa askew from its original position, the detective placed himself in front of Beth's television, and faced the girl. With his feet splayed apart just a little, and with pen and notepad in hand, "I'm going to need some identification first."

"Right," Beth looked around and noticed her cloak still lying on the floor near where the sofa had been. Picking it up, "It's here in my coat," she explained, rifling through one of the pockets. As soon as she found her wallet, Beth handed it over to the detective. "I didn't catch your name, sir."

The detective motioned for her to sit and so Beth complied, taking a seat on her sofa. She watched in silence as the man studied her license and then began writing in his notepad. He hesitated a bit as he read her stats and looked up at the girl for a moment. Then, he sighed and continued to scribble again. From time to time, he would quirk his brow, as if something interested him. He glanced at her once more before answering her question, "I'm Detective Horowitz." He nodded towards the two CSI's, and then continued to scratch in his pad, "and they're Johnson and Philips."

The two investigators nodded Beth's way, balling up the yellow tape as they pulled the rest of it off the doorframe.

As Detective Horowitz handed Beth's wallet back to her, "Now, you mentioned that you didn't know or recognize the person who helped you, right?"

Beth held onto her billfold and swallowed a little, trying not to appear nervous, "N…no, I - ah - I don't know who he was. Never saw him before."

"What did he look like, then?"

The girl gulped again, praying she would do well with this next part, "Actually, I only saw the back of his head and only for a second before he slipped a mask over his face. He - seemed to have an umbrella that he used, too, swinging it around like a - a baseball bat." She paused when the detective's eyebrows rose just a little, "Um, is something wrong, Detective?"

Chuckling a little, the man replied, "No, but - well - never mind, continue, please. What did he do next?"

"Well, after he took care of the men who attacked me, he led me up to the roof where we traveled across the row of buildings. That was when we found a fire escape and climbed down into the alley."

"So your rescuer was responsible for neutralizing the scene before you left?"

Beth screwed her face up, clueless to Horowitz's meaning.

Rewording his question, "Did he fight with the men in the black PJ's? We found several unconscious in the hallway and in your apartment when we arrived."

"Oh, I see, I - I really don't know how much he did, because I was busy fighting off the ones inside my apartment, too. I thought maybe he had help, but I guess he worked alone. That's what he told me, anyway."

The detective smiled, "Did he give you his name?"

"No, he didn't, he didn't want any kind of publicity. He just felt it was the right thing to do, to help me and all." Beth watched as the detective wrote down what she was telling him.

Nevertheless, the girl began feeling the all too familiar niggling at the back of her mind, the feeling that told her if she didn't change the way things were going - and soon, she would go catatonic. The police would then have no other choice but ambulance her to the nearest hospital. From there, Beth knew that the doctors would keep her under close watch. For how long would be anyone's guess, and that was her greatest concern.

"What kind of mask did he wear?" The detective asked, interrupting her present mood. With his pen poised, Horowitz waited to take down Beth's next comment.

"Mask?"

"Yes, you said he wore a mask, can you give me a description of it?"

"Oh," Beth hesitated a bit, uncertain, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Casey might have been responsible for attacking her and for her current mental state, but he seemed so contrite earlier, when he confessed to her friends what he had done. The fact that he was willing to accept their judgment, even if it meant his death by their hands, had greatly impressed her. Maybe he was being truthful, in that he wasn't in his right mind at the time that he had assaulted her. Certainly, the man five years ago wasn't the same man she saw just a while ago.

So, with her resolve strengthening to do what she had to, Beth continued, her voice stronger than it had been in a long while, "He wore a hockey mask - the whole time - and…" Beth then thought about what Mike said was Casey's weapon of choice, but realized that wasn't what Casey had used, "...and like I said, he had an umbrella that he used to defend himself with. He swung it around…like a bat"

"A...hockey mask?" The detective glanced out Beth's doorway, "but Mrs. Edwards said he was Caucasian, with short- dark brown hair, and wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans - and he sounded like he was from Brooklyn."

"Yeah," Beth drew the detective's attention back to her, "he did sound like he was from there and he was wearing the t-shirt and jeans, but I didn't see his face, because of his hockey mask. And..." she looked away, as if thinking back to that moment, "he might have had dark brown hair, but the mask was all I saw. Kind of odd, really, why would someone wear a hockey mask out in public?"

"Yeah, why indeed." Horowitz remarked quietly, but then found his voice again, "I wonder why Mrs. Edwards didn't tell us about that?"

Beth quickly added, "I don't know, maybe he put it on after she went back inside her apartment. But when I saw him, he was wearing a mask."

"Hmm… We'll have to question your neighbor again. Still," Horowitz then mumbled, "it's been years since we've run across the Vigilante's work." He then addressed the officer standing near the doorway, "Seems our 'friend' is back, Pete."

The uniformed officer rolled is eyes and muttered, "Great, that's all we need now is handling his leftovers."

"Well, he won't have much to do, not since we've virtually shut down his reason for working the streets like he did."

"Vigilante?" Beth quirked her head curiously.

"Yes, it's this guy that helped us a few years ago, although we wouldn't condone how he did it. He had a taste for beating up punks. Haven't seen him for a while, though." Horowitz then wrote some more in his notepad.

"He worked for you?" Beth was somewhat stunned, now, wondering why Raphael hadn't said anything about Casey working for the police. Maybe Casey had been an undercover cop gone wrong? She didn't remember anything said about that during her trial.

"No, no not exactly, but - well - it's a rather complicated situation and I'm really not authorized to say anything, but if the Vigilante protected you, Miss Shapiro, you're in good hands, not that I would encourage him to do what he does, at least not with how he operates. Through the years, though, he did help to reduce the crime rate here in this area of New York, but it's been a while since we last heard from him. We know he had some help, too. I mean, this is a big city. Regardless, though, The Vigilante - and his friends, whoever they are - left behind punks who were willing to sell their homies out."

Remembering what was said earlier, "And you've stopped this gang?" Beth asked.

"Well, a couple of them we closed down, those who worked together. The Dragons and an Asian gang called The Foot. They've plagued our city for a decade, maybe even longer, but we're close to neutralizing them for good." He grew more serious then, "But, I'm certain the lesser gangs will just step in and take their place. Until that happens, though, for now, we'll get a break."

Beth closed her eyes and sighed. The news did more for her than ease her mind; it almost made her giddy with joy. With what little she knew about how the Foot affected her new friends, to learn that this gang would no longer be a threat to them was good news indeed.

She couldn't wait to tell Leonardo.

Still, she wanted to be sure, she had to know. "So, you've captured the gang members, the ones in the black pajamas?"

"Mostly, but I think we've pretty much dismantled their influence, where they've gone back to Japan. At least, we hope they did. Their hideouts and their main headquarters are vacant. We have a list of locations where they've set up camp, so other than apprehending a few of the stragglers, their 'clan', as they call it, gave up, and headed for 'greener' pastures. I pity the city they adopt, too. I can only hope they did go back to their Japan."

"So, I don't have to worry about some of them coming back and hurting me?"

"Nope, but we'll provide a police presence here, to be safe. Only for a few days. You might want to take advantage of Mrs. Edwards' hospitality, too. She seems 'motherly', to me." Horowitz smiled, "and I think you might need some of that right now, Miss Shapiro." His face softened, "By the way, I - knew your father. So sorry about his passing but - I remember your trial. Are you doing all right?"

Beth's throat constricted as she realized the man standing in front of her was more than just a detective. He seemed to know of her father and, apparently, knew about her, too, even though Beth didn't recognize him. She softly replied, "Yes, I'm much better, actually. It was - hard, of course, but I've come to accept some things and have learned a great deal about - others." Then, she asked, "I don't - remember you, though. How do you know my father?"

The man chuckled, "Ah, well, five years ago, I was just getting promoted and thought about going into law. Your father took me under his wing and nudged me into detective work, though. He said I had a mind for details, but I would hate being a lawyer. And, no offense, Miss Shapiro, but he was right. I've only been at this gig for about three years, now, and I love it." Then, Horowitz looked around, "You've been living here by yourself all this time? Didn't your father have a place up on Fifth Ave?"

Although surprised by the man's intimate knowledge of such matters, "Yes," Beth squared her shoulders, "but I just wanted to - blend in and try to recover anonymously. I had to - get away from the stress of his firm, to 'think' about things."

"And now?"

"Well," she shrugged and smiled thinly, her voice soft and uncertain, "I - I...um…don't know." Beth studied her hands clasped in her lap.

"Your father always told me how brilliant you were regarding law and how proud he was with how well you were doing at Utica." He smiled and chuckled lightly, "In fact, there were times I think he was trying to get me interested in you." Horowitz shrugged, as if to disarm his comment.

Beth looked up suddenly, surprised, yet she saw a very considerate man, maybe a few years older than she, but nice looking just the same…and very honest. That startled her, in fact, that she would even pause to notice him in that way.

The detective continued, though, unaware of how he was affecting her, his voice more compassionate sounding, "You were home for the summer, correct, when…well…when you were attacked?"

Beth nodded solemnly, trying to ignore the sincerity in the man's question and her growing interest in him. After all, didn't she love another? "Yes, that's correct, working for my dad in his office. I had taken a walk through Central Park. It was a stupid thing to do, I guess." She smiled and shrugged - and gave a quick glance in his direction. Their eyes met for a brief second and then she dropped her gaze once more, before blushing.

"No, not stupid, Elizabeth, maybe naïve, but - not your fault, okay?" Now the detective crouched down to be at eye-level with the girl. His movement caused her to look up at him and, once more, he held her gaze as he said, "That creep should'a gotten life." Horowitz paused, before adding, "You do know that he's out, right?".

"Yes, I - ah - I do. I received a notice in the mail about it."

Horowitz scrutinized Beth and then stood again, his previous professional demeanor returning, once more, "Mr. Jones…hasn't found you, has he?"

"NO, no not at all, he'd better not!" In that moment, though, Beth was almost afraid that she had given it away; that she had indeed met with Casey and she knew how the courts were about offenders visiting their victims. It would be prison once more for the man and considering how sincerely sorry he was for harming her, Beth just couldn't do that to him.

"Good, because he's on probation and if he did try to see you, then we'd have to apprehend him."

"If I see him, I'll - I'll call you, right way."

"Yes, do that, please," the man then reached into his breast pocket and retrieved a small two-by-three card, "Here's my office number, call me if he does bother you, because regardless of his rehabilitation, you shouldn't trust him - not at all."

"I'll remember that, hard not to, all things considered." She laughed a little, to dispel her anxiety.

"Well," Horowitz pocketed his small notebook and pen, "In any case, you might think about going back to college. If you're anything like what your father told me, you could be an asset to the judicial system. Anyway, I believe we're done here. Again, I would take advantage of Mrs. Edwards' offer." The detective smiled, "She seems like a very concerned neighbor. As you know, they're hard to find in this city."

After the detective and the others left her apartment, Beth closed her front door and locked it. Yet, she remained there and leaned against it for the longest time, her back hard against the wood. With her arms wrapped protectively around her, she sighed. It was finally over. Although she knew she still had a ways to go, Beth finally felt some self-control with her problem. Maybe she would have found it on her own eventually, but she couldn't deny that the intervention from her new friends had helped. She breathed a soft 'thank you' to the strange rat and his faithful sons, especially to Leonardo.

And, although she would probably never be comfortable in Casey's presence, the fact that Raphael would vouch for his friend's character spoke volumes, too. She knew that drugs could change someone, twisting their personality and character to monstrous proportions. Maybe losing this April O'Neil had indeed affected Casey as severely as he claimed it did.

Still, it was obvious by Detective Horowitz's admittance that this Vigilante had helped with dismantling the ninja Foot clan. More to the point, if the Vigilante and Casey were the same man, then that would mean that Mr. Jones - on some level - was more of a hero than a rapist.

It was an interesting speculation and, for the first time in five years, Beth realized that her demon was finally dead, at least the demon that Casey had become. Maybe then, so would be her affliction and then, quite possibly, she could get back to living a normal life once again.

As she considered the detective's advice, Beth suddenly wondered if Mrs. Andrews enjoyed drinking green tea. With that thought in mind, the girl hurried into her kitchen to see if she had some, her heart lighter than it had been in a very long time.