Author's Note - This is a quick, short chapter. This story's gonna wrap up soon. I'm debating doing a sequel. My whole intention starting out was to do one with them older, bring the Purple Dragons and April and Casey into it. This growing-up story sorta wrote itself despite me.

Still, I know it's an odd genre of TMNT fics to be writing, and I do have a bunch of other stories in the works. So, you know. If you wanna see older turtle-human guys (I even have pictures of what I think they look like, because I am a complete nerd), feel free to let me know.

Oh, Natsuko! I did get your PM and totally wrote you back. But this site is doing all kinds of fun experiments with not sending alerts, so you may not have been told you had a message? Basically it was a lot of thanks and complete agreement with your critiques, and a solemn plea that if you know beta writers like the ones you described, I'd love to be introduced. You hit on the things that bug me most about my writing, but God knows I can't figure out how to fix it.

Thanks, everyone, for the great feedback. I know it's tough giving weird AU stories like this a chance, and I appreciate it!

"No."

Yoshi drew in a breath. His hands fisted under the table. He let the breath out, slow and even.

"No," he echoed, slow and thoughtful, tasting the word.

Prentiss set her coffee cup down, looking more than a little annoyed at him. "No. And I've told you that before. I have a lot of work, and a lot of kids. I don't have time to investigate claims from a proven liar. Claims, I might add, that have already been investigated more than once."

"This liar you speak of is an eleven year old boy."

She laughed, and it was as hard a sound as a fist against flesh. "You've worked with some of the worst kids I know. Do you honestly think eleven year olds can't be liars?"

Yoshi shut his eyes for a half a second, finding his center. Quick and dirty, but he was able to keep himself from responding in anger. "I don't believe this eleven year old is."

"Then he's got you snowed. I'm not surprised, Yoshi. You're all about honesty and honor and whatever, and these kids can learn to manipulate anyone."

Yoshi's hands squeezed tighter. "You're talking about a boy who begged me sobbing to rape him if it was the only way I would keep him with me."

She shrugged. "I've heard stories just as bad. This boy's a smart--"

"Use his name!" The words were thunder ripping through a quiet sky. Yoshi's hand came up, fist knocking on the wood of the table.

She jumped, her coffee streaking over the side and onto the table in a line like a tear.

"He is Rafael. He is a child, a boy who has begged for help for years."

"He's blamed everyone who ever cared for him. He's accused everyone but you of victimizing him."

"Perhaps because I'm the first one who hasn't!"

"Yoshi, come on!"

"No." His center was coming undone fast. "I have come to know him well in the last two years. I have seen this boy do remarkable acts of kindness for his friends. I have seen him soothe a hurting child, and I'm only ashamed that I mistook Rafael's understanding of that boy's problems for simple empathy. I have ignored and pushed aside for too long, and I will not do it now." He aimed a sharp glare across the table.

Her face hardened over her surprise at his outburst. She stood. "I'm not having this talk with you. I've explained his history. If that isn't good enough, I'm sorry."

"It's not nearly good enough." Yoshi got to his feet as well, tossing bills on the table and grabbing his coat.

She let out a frustrated breath. "I'm looking out for you, whether you believe it or not."

"That is exactly your problem. You've looked out for your friend the doctor, and the families who have taken the boy in. You look out for me. But you don't look out for Rafael, though that is supposedly your job."

"Stop right there, Yoshi. You have no idea what I've done for--"

"I am giving you the chance to fix a mistake, Miss Prentiss. I'm showing you a boy in trouble and asking for your help."

She blew out a breath, grabbing her purse from the booth. "And I'm telling you no. Someday you'll figure out what that kid is, and you'll thank me."

Leonardo found him sitting against the wall, catching his breath and shaking out aching fists - he'd clenched too tightly when he hit the bag, and he should have known better.

He wiped sweat from his brow and stared ahead until he sensed movement and noticed his son in the doorway.

"Leonardo." He sat up straighter and motioned him in. "Why are you awake at this hour?"

Leo shrugged, moving in uncertainly. "I know there's something going on. I couldn't sleep."

Perceptive boy. Yoshi almost smiled. "I'm afraid you're right, but it's nothing we should talk about."

"Last time you snuck down here to hit the bag was when that one kid…James? When he got killed."

Yoshi winced. "That's hardly a thing you should be keeping track of, Leonardo."

"I can't stop from noticing," he answered. "Did another kid get killed?"

"No." Not yet. Yoshi rubbed at his face, tired and growing stiff. "Leonardo…" He hesitated.

This was nothing to talk to a child about. Nothing to be shared with his already too-serious son. Leonardo didn't need the weight of knowing things like this even went on in the world.

Then again, Leonardo and Michael were incredibly close these days. Leo helped Mike through nightmares and memories. Maybe Leonardo already knew.

Yoshi looked up at him, sitting back against the wall. "I am worried," he confessed finally. "And I'm afraid it's making me rather tense."

"What're you worried about?" Leo asked. He moved up and sat on the mat in front of his father, back straight, posture correct as always.

Yoshi hesitated. "You know that Michael was hurt by a very cruel adult when he was younger."

Leo nodded, solemn.

"I believe there is another adult hurting a child, yet I have no way to prove it."

Leo thought about that. "Then you have to find a way."

Yoshi smiled faintly. "Yes, that would be a proper course of action. Unfortunately I have no authority to--"

"Hang on." Leo stood up suddenly and went to the door.

Yoshi watched him go, surprised. Leo didn't usually interrupt that way.

He could hear Leo going up the stairs. He turned away from the door with a sigh. Shaking out a sore hand, he pulled himself to his feet and surveyed the dojo. Luckily, hitting the bag didn't create much of a mess. He hadn't even wrapped his knuckles. Which, of course, meant that they would bother him for days.

He stretched out, feeling soreness in his arms and wondering at it. Sometimes his anger was more than meditation and centering could handle, and he'd been known to hit the bag for hours without being aware of the passing of time.

He wondered how late it actually was.

Leo's footsteps pounding down the stairs distracted him. He turned and waited.

Leo came in, holding a familiar object in his hand. "I know we told Donnie we wouldn't go through his stuff, but I don't think he'd mind much." He held the video camera out.

Yoshi took it after a moment. "Leonardo, I don't think…"

Leo smiled. "Don't worry. Don can show Raf how it works."

Yoshi crouched, amazed eyes on his son's face. "How did you know?"

Leo shrugged. "Mikey says Raf's kind of mad is really familiar to him. And remember a long time ago when Raf told me what was wrong with Mikey? I thought it was weird that he guessed when no one else did."

"There doesn't seem to be much that escapes your notice, Leonardo." Yoshi smiled, proud of Leonardo as he was at least once a day, even after years with the boy.

Leo pinked, but his smile faded. "Is Raf really getting hurt?"

Yoshi nodded, solemn again instantly. "He is."

"Then…if we stop it, will he be less mad all the time?"

Yoshi blinked. "I would think so, yes."

"Good." Leo smiled again faintly. "Mikey says Raf helped him a lot. And Donnie says he made the kids at the orphanage leave Don alone. I think he'll be a good brother when he's not so mad."

Yoshi clapped his son on the shoulder. "I think so too, Leonardo."