A/N: Hey there, readers. Sorry for the pause in updates. I will try to get another chapter uploaded after this one. Happy reading, as always.

Chapter 12:

"And with a score of ten to nine, Analise reigns champion over the DDR mats!" Analise announced from the floor where she and Michelangelo had both fallen after their tie-breaker round. She roared playfully for more affect and then smiled over at Michelangelo who turned on his side.

"How do you know how to move your legs like that?" he asked as he leaned on one of his arms and over her.

"It's a secret," she whispered and put a finger to her lips. She looked from one side to the other as if someone was listening and then hooked her finger to draw him closer. As he leaned closer she took one last look around, "I used to be a major gamer."

"You were a gamer girl?" he asked in a normal tone.

"Shh!" she put her finger to his mouth to stop him from talking, "I like it on the down low."

"Why?" he asked from around her finger.

"No reason," she said suddenly with a smile and pushed him back. He let out a squeal of surprise and landed on his shell. She laughed and stood up to look over him, "I still am a gamer girl. Especially if I have the down time."

Michelangelo looked up at her with the light behind her, "Where have you been all my life?"

She laughed again, "Here and there. Unfortunately not where you were."

"Very unfortunate," he nodded and suddenly grabbed her toward him and turned to pin her on the ground. She laughed as they wrestled and she knew that she had no chance against him. After three to five seconds she stopped struggling and looked up at his face.

"Okay, you got me," she sighed dramatically, "Do what you will."

Michelangelo blushed at the insinuation.

"Whoa there," Deidra said as she and Leonardo walked into the main room and saw Michelangelo over Analise. He had both her hands gripped in one of his above her head and a leg on either side of her body with his other hand on her hip to keep her down. Leonardo's eyes grew a little at his younger brother over the girl on the ground and the dishevelment of her clothes. Deidra coughed into her hand with a smirk, "This is way out of your usual PG rating, Ana."

"And your mind is shooting straight to NC-17 as usual," Analise smirked back and looked up at Michelangelo who was now frozen in place and his face a much darker green that she guessed was his deep blush. She giggled at the expression and then turned back to Deidra and Leonardo, "How was dinner?"

"Despite the interruptions, it was very nice and thoughtful," Deidra kissed Leonardo on the cheek quickly and then began to walk back toward her room, "Thank you for the pasta. I will see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Leonardo smiled and put a hand to his cheek.

"Hey, where are you going anyway?" Analise took the opportunity of the stunned Michelangelo and rolled him off of her to follow her friend.

"To my room," she answered and let Analise tag along.

Leonardo didn't hear any noise from Michelangelo and walked over to his still form on the ground, "You okay there, little brother?"

Michelangelo looked up at the ceiling and slowly turned to Leonardo, "Have I died in a past adventure of ours?"

"No…"

"Oh, for a second I thought she was an angel," he sighed and Leonardo rolled his eyes at Michelangelo's theatrics.

"Have you seen Raph?"

"Not since he stormed out from the dojo," Michelangelo said and began to go into deep thought.

"Alright," Leonardo shook his head at the poor infatuation that he brother was stuck in. He walked back toward the stairs to his room so he could think over the next step with Deidra if there is a next step to be had.

"So really," Analise said as she came into her friend's room and shut the door behind her, "How did it go?"

"It was sweet," Deidra said as she took off her jewelry.

"But?" Analise asked with a sigh and sat on the mattress that Deidra had been using as a bed.

Deidra paused for a moment and then sighed, "I don't know. I mean, he is awesome with a katana and he is really nice. A leader, protective, determined and goal orientated. I can tell that he cares and some of the things he does are… pretty damn hot. He's an awesome guy all around…"

"But something's missing?" Analise offered.

"I think so," Deidra nodded and shrugged, "I'm not feeling that passion, you know? That thing that makes you want to jump the guy."

"Is it because he's a turtle?"

"Maybe," she shrugged again and turned to her friend.

"Well, what did you talk about?"

"Katanas, stances and situational circumstances."

"Wow, I don't know how you kept your hands off of him," Analise said in a bored tone, "He strikes me as one that doesn't have all that much experience in wooing a woman."

"I don't think so either," Deidra laughed to herself.

"He just needs more practice and then he can sweep you off your feet," Analise stopped herself and thought back to the night that he had already done that, "…Well, in a romantic way at least."

"Maybe it's just too early to know. We just met. That passion may just need to develop."

"Yeah, I guess," Analise thought to herself for a minute and Deidra caught her expression.

"What about you and your tutor?" Deidra grinned in an evil smirk, "That was some hold he had you in."

"You have no idea," Analise couldn't help but blush and then buried her face in the mattress. She let out a groan and then rolled off of her friend's bed, "I think I'm going to finish up the last of my commissions. Henry said that the museum is going through a huge renovation so I don't have to worry about coming in for about two weeks or so."

"Can you afford that?"

"That's why I love commissions," Analise laughed, "And he's letting me use my vacation time. I have too much saved up anyway. I will see you in the morning."

"Oh, Ana?"

"Yeah?" she stopped before she stepped out.

"My tutor is Leo."

"That doesn't surprise me, but it will be interesting," Analise smiled with a twinkle to her eyes, "I never knew that you would be the type to date your teacher."

"Shut up!" Deidra laughed and launched a pillow at her now shut door. She turned toward the large mirror she was able to salvage from her apartment and looked at her reflection. She looked at her outfit and then at her face. Something just didn't seem right. Something seemed to be missing, "What the hell is wrong with me?"

About an hour later Analise made the last line on the small concept board she had in front of her. She leaned back in her chair and stretched out her back muscles before she took an all over look at her work. On the paper were a few versions of a title cover for an episode in the making for Commander Titan and the Furies. She scratched the back of her head a little and let out a deep breath.

"Done, finally," she popped her knuckles, "Two weeks on this thing was too much."

She heard light tapping on her door and thought that maybe Deidra wanted to talk a little more about the 'nice' date she had. Carefully leaning the large page and clipboard against the wall to the side of her bed, she walked over to her door. She opened it at the second knock and was surprised to see Michelangelo on the other side of the door.

"Hey, Mikey," she smiled, "I see you got off the floor. Come on in."

"Thanks," he rubbed the back of his head and walked in with what looked like a small notebook in one hand. He caught sight of the piece she just finished at the side of the bed and nearly lost his top… that is if he was wearing one, "Donnie was right! You do work for Commander Titan and the Furies!"

"Guilty as charged," she chuckled and stood next to him as they looked over the options, "I'm guessing you're a fan?"

"Mondo fan, numero uno, dudette," he scanned the options, "I like the second one the best. The cape is a major eye catcher, and if you keep it red it will jump off the screen."

Analise nodded and looked at Michelangelo a little surprised, "You have a good grasp on picture composition."

"I dabble here and there," he shrugged, "How did you come up with the Commander anyway?"

"Weirdest thing," she sat down on the edge of the bed while he took one of the bean bags he offered to her, "I was sitting in my dorm at the time. Just arrived to New York and I look outside in time to see the Silver Sentry and the Turtle Titan pass my window. My dorm mate went ballistic. She loved the Silver Sentry."

"Was he the inspiration?" he asked.

"Nope, the Turtle Titan was," she corrected him and noticed that his eyes lit up, "He didn't have super powers like the rest of the Justice Force. He fell back on his own personal strengths and ingenuity. He was in a sense normal, but then again so much more. I wanted the Commander to embody some of that. The show artists and writers agreed and ran with it."

"You know, I don't like to brag, but I know the Turtle Titan," Michelangelo breathed on his hand and then pretended to wax his fingernails against his plastron.

"Really?" Analise's head perked up, "I didn't know if he was still around. It wasn't too long after I first saw him that he seemed to disappear and the rest of the Justice Force went on."

"He had better things to do," Michelangelo shrugged and got out of the bean bag.

"Where you going?"

"I wanted to grab something really quick," he tossed the notebook on her lap and she noticed that it was a sketchbook, "While I'm gone, do me a favor and look over those sketches for a wanna-be, huh?"

"Sure," she smiled and opened the sketchbook while he ran up to his room. She looked through the rough sketches of heroes and fantasy characters. She had to hand it to him, he may not have the neatest pictures, but he did have some fantastic ideas. She kept turning pages and stopped toward the middle when she felt someone standing in the door way, "Mikey, these are amazing. Clean up the lines and I may just use you for some help in the future."

"I am not Mikey," a voice called out strong into her room and she looked up to see the Turtle Titan in her doorway.

Her eyes grew large and she screamed in a way befitting the best fangirl. She ran toward him and nearly mowed him down as she flung her arms around his neck, "Turtle Titian! Oh my God, this is amazing! I thought that you were done, or had fallen so ill you couldn't fight."

He chuckled under her arms and she looked up at him.

"How did Mikey get you here so…" she looked closer in his eyes and then quickly took off his mask, "Mikey? You're the Turtle Titan?"

"Guilty as charged," he shrugged and tied his orange bandana back on.

"This is a dream come true!" she hugged him and he hugged her back, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Didn't think that you would believe me if I just told you that I am a super hero… or was."

"Mikey, cape or not," she picked at his own cape on his costume, "You're a hero to me. You came to my rescue."

"When you and Deidra were already kicking major butt," he sighed.

"It's the thought that counts," she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. She looked at the mask she still had in her hand, "So why did you stop being a part of the Justice Force anyway?"

"I had better things to do," he repeated.

"Such as?"

"Save bodacious babes from wanna-be thugs," he offered and smirked at her. She smiled warmly at him and handed his mask back toward him. He held her hand as she did so and shifted on his feet, "Ana, I was wondering… Do you wanna go watch a movie with me?"

Her smile grew, "An invitation for a movie from a super hero. How can a girl resist? Which one you have in mind?"

"There is that new thriller movie that seems like it will be more of a laugh than anything else," he offered and began to take off the Turtle Titan costume before they left.

"Sounds good," she nodded and threw on a jacket, "How are you going to get into the theater?"

"I have my ways, I am a ninja," he waved his fingers as if he was doing magic. He held out his arm that wasn't holding his costume for her, "M'lady?"

"Sir," she nodded her head and took his arm.

He threw his costume toward the upper level of the lair and toward his room as they exited. As they walked out of the lair they kept up conversation about what they thought the movie may be like and what it will epically fail at. Between their laughter Michelangelo stopped them in mid stride and patted her hand in a silent command to stay where she was. She quirked her eyebrow in question, but he held a hand up and pushed her gently toward the wall.

As he walked forward she started to hear shuffling in the sewer water and labored breathing from around the corner. Michelangelo held on to his nunchakus and quickly ran around the corner and straight into the intruder.

"Wait!" a hoarse voice rang out and made Michelangelo do just that as Analise ran around the corner.

"My God, Raph!" she yelled.

Raphael leaned heavily on the side of the wall and held his left arm which had a large gash along the bicep. His plastron had a few gashes as well along the center of his chest. One eye was swelled shut while the other struggled to keep blood out of it. His legs looked beat up with cuts and bruises that covered most of his body.

"Jeeze, Raph," Michelangelo leaned over and put Raphael's good arm over his shoulders. He looked up at Analise, "Go back to the lair and tell Splinter and the others."

"Got it," Analise was already on her way.

"It looked like you were going to have a good time," Raphael grunted and Michelangelo tried to take on some of his weight, "Sorry, bro."

"You always ruin a good time, I'm used to it," Michelangelo smiled at his brother from the small joke, "You'll just owe me as usual."

"Splinter! Leo!" Analise yelled with half breath when she entered the lair. She gasped and looked around, "Don! Anyone?"

"Analise, child, what is wrong?" Splinter asked and walked out of his room. Leonardo and Donatello both flipped down from the upper level toward her as Deidra walked out of her room with sweat pants and a tank top on.

"It's Raphael," she huffed and stood straight to catch her breath, "He's hurt really bad. Michelangelo is helping him walk back. It looked like he was attacked."

"Damn it," Leonardo cursed under his breath.

"Leonardo, go help your brothers," Splinter looked at him and he ran off toward the entrance that Analise used. Splinter then turned to his last son, "Donatello, help me prepare to heal Raphael."

"Yes, father," he nodded and flipped toward the side of his lab where they kept most of the medical supplies.

"What's going on?" Deidra asked and came up next to Analise. Before Analise could answer she saw Leonardo and Michelangelo drag a half conscious Raphael into the lair. She took quick stock of his injuries and felt her heart drop a little in her chest, "What happened?"

"Lay him here," Splinter instructed them and laid him on a large, soft mat. He began to wet some strips of cloth and began to clean what he could and stop what blood was still flowing. Leonardo ran into another room to grab more supplies and clean water.

"I'm sorry, master," Raphael said when he saw Splinter.

"No apologies tonight, my son," Splinter put a paw to his forehead and he looked away from him and toward the two girls. Deidra felt her breath catch as she looked at the damage that he took and the efforts that Donatello and Splinter were going through to keep him together.

Michelangelo came back over to stand next to Analise. He didn't get too close since he didn't want to get any blood on her. She didn't mind too much and took his hand in hers. He looked down at their hands and then up at her face which looked worried.

"Don't worry too much, dudette," he said quietly, "He's been through worse. Splinter and Donnie will have him up in no time."

"What happened?"

"He said that he got jumped by the Purple Dragons and Hun."

"The cowards had to pick out someone alone," Deidra growled and walked over to the group. She took one of the wet cloths and began to clean a few of the head wounds.

"Do I really need you that close to my head?" he groaned as he recognized the red head above him.

"Like you have much to worry about anyway," she said back with a slight smirk. She cleaned the cuts above his eye and tried to concentrate on getting them to stop bleeding, "You know, you didn't have to get your ass kicked to get my attention."

"Who said I did it for you?" he began to cough.

"Enough talk, Raphael," Splinter commanded and looked at Deidra to make sure that she wouldn't provoke more talk from him. Leonardo sat another small bucket of clean water between Deidra and Raphael and took the rag from her.

"It's okay, we got him," he told her, "Go to bed. It will be a while until we get him all wrapped up."

"I'll wait up, it's okay," she said and looked at Raphael before she walked back over to Michelangelo and Analise who still held one another hands, "Why aren't you in the frenzy, Mike?"

"I have the knowledge, but I usually trip over one of the others trying to do too much," Michelangelo explained, "The last time I tried to patch up Raph, I tripped over some of the old cloths and fell over his biggest injury. He won't let me near him when they're patching him up anymore."

"Gotcha," she nodded.

"Let's get you cleaned up a little bit then," Analise pulled lightly on his hand toward the bathroom. She turned to Deidra, "You coming?"

"I think I will wait to see the damage," she nodded toward the group.

Analise nodded and led Michelangelo to the bathroom to get his brother's blood off his arms and hands.