First off, a big thanks to all my reviewers. I don't know how you found my story, but I'm glad you did, and I'm really glad you're enjoying the story. I hope I don't let you down! Gothchick101 and frubaforever, you flatter me! Thanks for putting The Orphan Train on your list of favorites!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or Master Splinter for that matter. But I do own my character, so no stealing.

Finally, after wrestling with her hair for nearly an hour, the boys dried her off and dressed her in one of Splinter's old robes, one he'd had when he was human. Donny fashioned two splints made from empty pens and scotch tape for her fingers and he put a bandage on her head wound while his brothers took turns washing their hands in the kitchen sink. After that, they collapsed into chairs around the dining room table, exhausted. Mikey wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Whew! That was more work than I ever want to do again!"

"What, dealing with handfuls of munchkins day after day is easy?" Donny laughed at the horrified look that came into his brother's eyes. Then his voice became serious. "But we're still not finished."

The other three groaned.

"There's more?"

"What else do we need to do?"

"Relax," said Donny. "There's not much. I just need to reset her shoulder. Leo, could you give me a hand?"

"Sure," said Leo, tired but eager to help his little red-haired crush. "What do you need me to do?"

"Hold her. Just brace her so I can put the bone back into the socket."

Donny picked her up off the couch, gasping at her weight.

"Oh my God! She doesn't weigh anything!"

"Let me see."

When Donny finally passed the girl to him, Leo took her gently, kneeling down so he could wrap both arms around her.

At last, he thought. You've been in my dreams for a year, you're in my thoughts when I wake up, and now I can hold you. He took the back of her head in his hand so he could look at her face. Pale and starved, she was still more beautiful up close than he remembered. He may have been imagining it, but the thought he could feel his body begin to warm.

He shook his head. What was he thinking? She was human and he…wasn't. Still, he could love her from afar, couldn't he?

"Leo?"

Donny's voice again brought him back to the present.

"Sorry. Got lost in my imagination."

"Ooh, what are you thinking about, Leo?" Mikey hooted, punching him in the arm. Leo blushed visibly.

"Shut up!" he yelled, and brothers howled with glee at his obvious discomfort. When Donny finally caught his breath, he helped Leo set the girl upright against his chest, carefully laying her head in his shoulder. Leo's blush had begun to fade, but he felt it flare up again when her soft cheek came into contact with his. He couldn't help noticing the disgusting way her arm flapped uselessly as they jostled her around. When they had her sitting up in his lap, Donny gently took her arm in his hands.

"Ready?"

Leo wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from going anywhere.

"Ready."

"One…two…three!"

Donny pushed and there was a wet, sickening pop as the bone slid back into place. The girl's eyes flew open and she gave a gasp of pain. The action startled Donny, who jumped back in surprise.

"Whoa!" he cried. For a moment, they were all silent, no one knowing what to do, then he held his hands up and said, "Don't be afraid, alright? You're safe. We aren't going to hurt you. Do you understand? We're going to help you."

He looked at his brothers for help, but they just shrugged. None of them knew what to say.

The girl turned her head left and right and back again, taking in her surroundings, and she put a hand to her head and moaned. Finally, in a soft, weak voice that sounded like a bell to Leo's ears she said, "Where am I?"

Donny and Leo looked at each other, but before Donny could open his mouth Leo blurted out, "In the sewers…of New York City."

She twisted her head up and around to see who had spoken, and Leo saw her eyes. He felt the breath catch in his chest. They were flat and dead with pain, but they were still like nothing he had ever seen before. They were like the shallows of the Caribbean, more green than blue, and so striking they gave her face a whole new light. When Leo had first seen her on stage, he had been too far away to tell what color her eyes were, and now that he could, it was like falling in love with her all over again. He also felt his heart break again, knowing that someone so beautiful would never return that love. She was human and she belonged in the human world above the sewers.

He blinked and realized that they were still staring at each other, and that his arms were still locked tightly around her. His heart skipped a beat, and he stood up, placing the girl on the couch so she could get a better look at the four of them. They stood in silence, watching her face work through several different expressions, trying to figure out exactly what she was looking at. The boys had been expecting this, but they had also been expecting a bigger reaction, like screaming or fainting. She did neither. Instead, she sat there calmly, knees pressed together and her eyes looked up innocently at them. Finally, she spoke.

"So, who…what are you guys?"

"I was waiting for that," Donny admitted. He was about to say more, but Raf interrupted him.

"What are we? We're turtles."

"Yes, I can see that," said the girl, and waited for him to continue. He didn't, so Donny spoke instead.

"We're mutant turtles. That is, we were exposed to some sort of mutagen when we were kids, and we've been like this ever since." He paused at the confused look on her face. "I know, it's hard to understand."

"Even we don't get it," Mikey piped up, speaking for the first time since she had opened her eyes. Everyone looked at him, and his lips split into that stupid grin of his. Whether it was that grin or what he said no one would ever know, but he made the girl smile. Her lips parted ever so slightly, and they caught a flash of her teeth, as pearly white as the day Leo had first seen her. That smile was the first crack in the ice that surrounded them, and made Leo and Donny smile as well. Raf just scowled.

"Hey look guys!" said Mikey. "I made her smile! Ten points for me! Twenty points to the one who can make her laugh!"

He needn't have bothered throwing out the challenge. She had covered her mouth with her hand, but it didn't hide her giggles.

"Oh yeah! Thirty points for me!" yelled the ecstatic turtle. "Who's the man? Who's the man? ME!"

His ridiculous antics made the girl laugh even harder, and Leo had to smile at his brother's attempts to impress her. Even a corner of Raf's mouth turned up, and he joined the fun in the only way he knew how: picking on his brothers.

"You ain't a man, idiot. You ain't even human. You're just stupid."

"What?" He stopped in the middle of the dance he had been doing. "Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

Mikey launched himself at his brother, and the two went crashing to the ground and rolled around on the floor.

"Oh!" Through her laughter, there was concern on the girl's face. "Are they all right?"

"They're fine," said Leo. "They're just wrestling, that's all. See?" he said as Mikey yelled, "Ow! Okay, okay, I give up!"

Raf let go of the arm that he'd been twisting behind Mikey's back, climbed off his shell and helped him stand up. They dusted themselves off and sat down, trying to look like nothing had happened. The girl's laughter had begun to die down.

"Anyway," said Donny, "My name's Donny, and he's Leo, Mikey, and Raf."

They boys raised their hands when their name was called, and when he was finished, they looked at her.

"What's your name?"

"My real name's Abigail," said the girl, as if ashamed of the name. "But you can call me A.J."

"Why A.J.? Abigail's a beautiful name," said Donny.

"Suck up," Raf muttered under his breath, but only Leo heard it.

"I don't know," said A.J. "I don't like the name Abigail very much I guess. It means 'father's favorite,' and my dad and I don't get along very well. My sister was my dad's favorite."

"I think Leo's Master Splinter's favorite," said Raf, shooting a menace-filled glare at the turtle in question. Leo was taken aback by the sudden jab.

"I am not! Master Splinter doesn't play favorites; you know that as well as I do, Raf!"

"Sure he doesn't," Raf snarled, but he didn't say more. A.J. raised her eyebrows at how quickly the mood had changed.

"I take it you guys are brothers?"

"Yep. All four of us," said Donny.

"Unfortunately," said Mikey, and the girl smiled again.

"And what are your names short for?"

The boys traded glances.

"Well…" Donny began.

"We don't exactly have normal names, if you know what I mean…" said Leo.

"I don't care," said the girl. "You've saved my life. I'd like to go away at least knowing your names."

"Well, my name's Donatello, his is Leonardo, he's Michaelangelo, and he's Raphael."

A.J. grinned this time.

"The Renaissance masters. Although I don't know who Donatello was."

"That's okay," Donny shrugged, staring at the floor. "No one does. So, are you hungry?"

"Oh, yes!" she cried, her face lighting up.

"What are you hungry for?" said Mikey, bounding into the kitchen. "We have leftover pizza and…peanut butter if you want a sandwich. There's macaroni and cheese in here, too."

"No!" yelled Donny. "She's been starved and she's very weak. Any solid food will kill her. The only thing you're getting is soup," he said to A.J., opening the pantry and pulling out a can. "Tomato basil okay?"

"Anything is fine; I'm starving. I'm so hungry I could eat a dead rat!"

The boys looked at each other. Of course, she didn't know the irony of her statement.

"Well, no one's going to make you eat a dead rat," said Donny opening the can and pouring the orange liquid into a bowl. He put it into the microwave and set the timer as Leo said, "Or a live one. Master."

Splinter had entered the room. The boys clasped their hands together and bowed. A.J. twisted her head around, but she couldn't see who they were addressing. When she heard him speak however, she knew he demanded reverence.

"How is she?"

"She's awake," said Leo.

Splinter walked around the couch and stood in front of her. After all that she had seen tonight, she knew that nothing would surprise her, but all the same, to one who has never seen a rat the size of a small child walk on two legs and speak, it can be a rather strange sight. She felt awkward, sitting sideways on the couch with her legs thrown over the arm, but she bent her head as low as she could. She hoped this would be an acceptable gesture of respect.

Splinter took her hand.

"How are you feeling, my child?"

"I'm starving," she answered. "Donny's making me some soup."

"Excellent. Would you care for some tea?"

"Oh yes. Tea would be wonderful, thank you."

"Good. I could fancy a cup myself."

He put the kettle on after filling it up with water and digging a couple of teabags out of the cupboard. They were quiet for a time, waiting for her soup to warm up. When it was done, Donny pulled it out of the microwave, got her a spoon, and set the food on the table. A.J. climbed off the couch, stood up, and promptly fell down. Her legs were too weak to hold her up. Donny chuckled.

"I was going to tell you not to stand up, but I guess I didn't speak fast enough. You are too weak too walk anywhere. I recommend staying in bed for a few days until your strength returns. If you need to go anywhere, one of us will carry you."

"Oh. Well, I hate to be a burden," she said innocently as Donny bent and lifted her off the floor.

"No burden," he said, setting her down in a chair in front of the steaming bowl.

"Indeed," said Master Splinter from the kitchen, pouring tea into two mugs and walking over to the table. "It is in their nature to be kind to others. Thank you, Leonardo," he said as Leo pulled out a chair for him to sit in. He passed one of the mugs to A.J., who blew on it and thanked him.

"What is your name, child?"

"A.J.," she said, already wolfing down her soup.

"My name is Splinter. I see you're already met my sons."

The words made her put her spoon down.

"Sons? But…how…"

"They are my students," Splinter corrected himself. "I think of them as sons also."

"Okay." She raised her eyebrows, then went back to the food.

"Don't eat so fast," said Donny. "You'll jar your insides."

"I'm hungry!" she protested. "I can't remember the last time I ate."

"Just eat slowly," he said, and she went back to eating. They waited for her to finish, which didn't take very long. She looked up at Donny as he took the bowl away.

"Can I have some more?"

"No," he said sternly. "That's all your body can handle right now. Drink your tea."

She made a face, and Master Splinter jumped to his rescue.

"You should listen to Donatello. He knows what he's talking about."

So A.J. leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea, which was cool enough to drink. In the kitchen, Donny poured himself a cup and came back into the circle of light around the table.

"Sooo…"A.J. began nervously. "This may seem like a personal question, but how did you guys get like this?"

They looked at each other.

"Our story is a long one," said Master Splinter.

"And kind of hard to understand," Leo continued.

"How hard can it be? I'm looking right at you."

Again, they traded glances.

"I see no problem in telling the girl," said Master Splinter.

"Neither do I," Donny agreed. Mikey and Leo nodded their heads, but Raf's face was dark, and he leaned threateningly across the table.

"But if we tell you who we are, you gotta promise that you ain't gonna tell anyone else about us. Understand? Never!"

Her beautiful eyes widened in fear, and her voice quivered as much as her lips as she squeaked, "I'll never tell anyone, I promise!"

She was absolutely terrified of him, and her terror struck sparks in Leo. He hated to see her like this, being threatened by his own brother.

"Raf!" he said sharply. The red-masked turtle looked at him, then slumped back into his chair.

"It was nearly seventeen years ago," Splinter began, and A.J. resumed sipping her tea as he and the boys told her their story. It was wild, but at the same time, she was not surprised. She knew the government was screwed up, and the idea that they had dumped a toxic mutagen down the sewers where it would transform a man and his four pet turtles into something so alien you'd have to see it to believe it did not surprise her. But this time she was glad for the government's stupid mistake, because it had created Leo, Raf, Donny, Mikey and Master Splinter. They had saved her life, and as their story wore on, she learned about their ninja powers and how they used those powers to keep the streets of New York City safe at night. They had probably saved many people's lives over the few years they had been doing so. Then Leo had left for a year, training to become a leader in South America. He had only been back a few months. She sort of felt bad that she had come upon them at such an inconvenient and troubling time for them, but then she remembered that she'd be dead now if she hadn't. She clutched her wounded shoulder and shivered. However, none of her companions noticed.

"And that's pretty much it," Mikey finished.

"Yep. Here we are," Donny added.

"It's quite a story," said A.J. Raf glared at her.

"What, don't you believe us?"

It was the first time he had spoken since he had threatened her over the table.

She couldn't help noticing that the only things that seemed to come out of Raf's mouth were mean and unkind, as though he hated the entire world around him for reasons unknown. She was a bit insulted by his unpleasant manners.

"Why shouldn't I? The story is so ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be a lie. Plus, the proof is sitting right here in front of me!" She gestured to the five of them.

"Whatever," Raf grumbled. Master Splinter looked at the clock.

"It's late," he said. "And it's time you all were in bed. Especially you my dear," he said to A.J. "You've had a rough time, and you need rest. One of my sons will be happy to give up his bed for you."

"I will, Master," said Leo, quick to jump to her assistance.

"Oh no, you don't have to," she said, putting her arms around his neck as he picked her up. "I'd be just as comfortable on the couch."

"Nonsense," he said as he carried her into the room he shared with his brothers. "I won't hear of it." He clasped her soft body as close to his as he dared, trying not to be obvious. "This is my bed," he told her, pulling back the blankets and setting her down. He covered her up as she lay down and closed her eyes. "If you need anything, just tell us."

"Okay," she murmured. It was such a sweet sound.

"And if you get scared anytime during the night," said Mikey, removing his mask and straps that held his numchucks. "Don't hesitate to jump into bed with one of us!"

He grinned widely at her. Donny slapped him over the head.

"Mikey! That's rude!"

"I was only kidding!"

A.J. laughed and turned over. As Leo left the room, he said, "Go to sleep, you guys."

It was four-thirty in the morning. Leo flipped through the channels once again, trying to find something to shut his brain down and help him drift off to sleep. Unsuccessful, he finally gave up and shut the tube off.

A.J. had been on his mind the entire night, forcing sleep from his eyes. Everything about her, her soft hair, her lips, her dazzling eyes, her bony frame in his arms, her delicate voice. He was as much in love with her as he had been when he first saw her singing, and he had been fantasizing and imagining about meeting her for an entire year, even through his training. But now that they actually had met, he didn't know what to do. He certainly hadn't expected to them to meet under these circumstances, and now they had a serious case on their hands. Here was a girl, so sweet and innocent in her demeanor and manners, a girl he loved, who had been abused so horribly it was completely inhumane, her dignity and her virtue ruined, perhaps forever. He clenched his fists, and his knuckles cracked. He had never taken the crimes he fought personally: it was just a job, but now it was a different story. Now, though the crimes had been committed against her, it was a blow to him, because he loved her. It was revenge now. Whoever had done this to her had only a little time left. Leo would find him, and make him feel all the terror and pain he had made A.J. feel.

A muffled thump jerked him out of his thoughts. He stood up and turned around to find A.J. lying on the ground, a pillow in one hand and a blanket in the other. She raised her head and smiled through her pain. Leo figured she must have tried to walk out of the room and had fallen after a few steps.

"Sorry," she said as he picked her up.

"What are you doing out here? Can't sleep?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah. Mikey snores. And I'm still hungry."

"Well," he mused as he set her down on the couch. "I don't think Donny would like me feeding you, but you might sleep better if I do. I'll get you some more soup."

"That's fine," she said. "I don't care what you feed me, just as long as you do."

"Well, I don't want to kill you," said Leo as he opened another can of tomato basil soup. "That wouldn't seem very polite after I just saved your life."

She laughed, and the sound sent pleasant shivers down Leo's spine. Quietly he congratulated himself as he put the soup in the microwave and set the timer. At that moment, Raf entered the room.

Leo looked at him in surprise.

"I didn't hear you leave," he said.

"I walked right past you while you were watching TV," said Raf. "I was too quiet for you to hear."

His brother ignored the jibe and glared.

"Where have you been?"

"Nowhere," Raf snarled back and lurched off to the bedroom. Leo opened his mouth to yell at him, but he couldn't think of anything to say. The timer for the soup rang anyway, so he turned his attentions to getting the bowl out of the microwave. He was not exactly a cook, and he had put the soup in for too long. It was scalding and the bowl was very hot, but the thick, callused skin on the palms of his hands protected him from getting burned and feeling any pain. He set the bowl on the table, got her a spoon, then moved her from the couch to the table. She reached for the spoon and her hand touched the side of the bowl.

"Ouch!"

She jerked her hand back and Leo nearly jumped out of his shell.

"What is it? Oh…sorry. I guess I put it in too long."

He reached into the freezer, pulled out some ice cubes and crossed the room, dropping them one by one into her soup.

"There."

She stirred the soup with her spoon and blew on it. Then she sat back, waiting for it to cool.

"Is Raf always that nasty?"

"Yep. He's been that way ever since I came back. I mean, he's always been a little bit of a rebel, but now he's just downright evil."

She shook her head, staring at the entrance to their bedroom.

"Shame. He looks like he could be a really nice guy."

Leo felt a bit of a pang in his chest. He didn't want to talk about Raf with her. He hated himself for thinking it, but it was almost like he was jealous of his brother for even being mentioned in the conversation. He searched his mind for a way to change the subject, but she did it for him.

"Tell me about Central America. I've never been there."

He was a little taken aback by the subject that she'd switched to, but at least it wasn't Raf.

"Well, I didn't see much more than the forest," he began apologetically, but her green eyes had already begun to sparkle with wonder, so he continued. "The sun shines so bright there, way brighter than it does here, and when you get under the canopy, the trees turn everything different shades of emerald. The very air around you seems to be alive, and the sounds of birds and other animals are so thick and as varied as the plant life."

He willed himself to get lost in the memory of the rain forest around him. As he described it to her, it seemed to come to life before his own eyes, and it wasn't until he stopped speaking and blinked that the stone walls of the sewers closed in around him. He looked at her, and she too, seemed to be coming out of a daydream.

"Amazing," she said. "I'd like to go there someday. I've never been outside of New York City before."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hm," she nodded sleepily. "I've lived here all my life." She blinked and, opening her eyes wider, she looked around as though she had lost something.

"Where are my clothes?" she asked, looking up at him.

Leo told her.

"We set them out over here so they would dry off. We had to get you cleaned up so we could treat your wounds, and we figured you'd be more comfortable without them."

Her face flushed deeply, and a look of something like horror flashed in her eyes.

"You saw me…without my clothes on?"

He then remembered what had happened to her, and he flushed likewise. He was suddenly very uncomfortable.

"You had your underwear on…" he said, but she waved her hand.

"It doesn't matter. Four guys have already seen me…I suppose it doesn't make a difference anymore."

This time, her shiver was visible. Leo got up from his chair and put his hands on her shoulders.

"We would never take advantage of you, me or my brothers. We're not like that, okay? You don't have to be afraid anymore, not of us. You're safe here."

She raised her head, and he saw tears glittering in her green eyes.

"I know," she whispered. "You guys are just trying to help me. Thank you."

A tear fell out of the corner of her eye.

Without thinking, he reached up and used his thumb to brush it away.

They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity.

Finally, she spoke, and broke the spell.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Leo blinked as what she'd said sank in. He let go of her and sat back down in his chair.

"No problem. It's what we do."

At last, she picked up her spoon and began to eat her cooling soup.

"Well, I know it's nothing to you guys, but I really thought that my life was over. Thanks to you and your brothers, I have another chance, another shot at living. I was all ready to give up and die, and I almost did. I was so sure that it was the end of me. But now, it's not."

She took a few more bites.

"I'm really glad you saved me."

"Me too," Leo said softly under his breath.

"Hmm?" she asked around a mouthful of soup. He shook his head.

"Nothing. Eat your soup so I can put you to bed. Whoa!"

As he'd been talking, his eye happened to glance at the small digital clock in the microwave.

"It's almost six!" he cried.

"It is?" she asked, squinting at the neon green numbers. "Oh wow. No wonder I'm so tired." There were deep purple shadows under the eye that wasn't bruised to prove it. She finished her soup quickly, then said to him, "I'll just sleep on the couch. It's nice and quiet out here."

"You're sure you don't want my bed?"

She nodded.

"I'll be fine."

"Okay." He picked her up, crossed the short distance to the couch, and set her down. She fluffed up the pillow as he shook out the blanket and covered her up.

"You're too nice to me," she remarked.

"I think after what you've been through, you deserve it."

As she lay down, he could really feel exhaustion setting into his limbs. All he could think about was how soft his bed would feel against his tired body, but as he turned to walk off, she clutched his hand.

"Stay with me," she begged. "I'm scared of the dark."

"Do you want me to leave the light on?"

She didn't need to speak. He saw her answer written in her eyes.

"All right."

He joined her on the couch, which was big enough and she was small enough for the both of them to fit comfortably next to each other. He watched her curl up under the blanket, and after a few minutes, she was breathing deeply in sleep. He waited a little while, to make sure she was asleep, then, trying not to wake her, he scooped her up in his arms, blanket, pillow and all, and carried her into his bed. When he reached it, he tripped over his own foot, but she tumbled out of his arms and into his bed, completely undisturbed. She must have been sleeping very deeply, because she didn't wake even as he straightened the pillow and blankets around her. In the bed next to them, Mikey was snoring and muttering in his sleep. On the far side of the room, he noticed that Raf was lying on his back with his eyes open and his hands folded on his stomach, staring at the ceiling. Leo thought about saying something to him, but he was again at a loss for words, and when his brother did not acknowledge his presence, he turned and left the room.

So, now we know who our mysterious friend is, or at least we're starting to. Trust me, if you feel sorry for her now, you ain't seen nothin yet. By the way, tomato basil soup is really good. I read somewhere that you can't feed solid food to people who have been severely malnourished, because it causes their intestines to blow up, or something like that. Tomato basil is the only soup I could think of that is purely liquid, so that's what she's going to be eating for the next few days. Anyway, you know what to do! Leave a review, and tell me what you think!