Chapter 25:

Analise looked at the large bag and box of things that she had collected during her short stay in the lair. She was surprised by the small amount, since it wasn't as much as she was used to living with. The last things she had were a few photos and posters that she had rolled up in the corner. She had heard Deidra next door in a much better mood, but Analise had an inkling that had to do with Raphael. That inkling turned into acknowledgment when she heard him outside her friend's door just a few minutes ago and Deidra turned her music up.

Analise smirked a little to herself, "Well, I'm ready. Maybe I should check on how Mikey's doing."

She quickly made her way out of the hallway she shared with Deidra and across the lair toward the stairs. She noticed Splinter walking back toward his room with a content smile on his face. Analise stopped before him with a small bow of her head.

"Good evening, sensei."

"Good evening, Analise," he bowed back and looked up the stairs, "Heading to see Michelangelo?"

"I'm pretty obvious that way," she shrugged, "Need me to deliver any messages while I'm up there?"

"Tell him I would like to talk to him and the others when they get home."

"Sure thing," she nodded and walked quickly toward the stairs.

Splinter was a bit amazed by the young artist and profiler that landed in their laps. They added something to the lair that hadn't been in a long time. A bit of hope toward acceptance.

"Mikey?" Analise knocked on the door as she heard his boom box was on in the corner of his room. When she didn't get an answer she opened the door and peeked into the room where Michelangelo was dancing slightly to the music and throwing a piece from his room into a box or suitcase as he went. Analise smiled and leaned against his doorway to watch since he hadn't noticed her yet.

"'I'm a tour guide on the jungle cruise ride, Skipper Dan is the name,'" Michelangelo nodded his head with the beat as another comic book was added to his suitcase. As he turned to sing out the next verse, he finally noticed he wasn't alone. He stopped and smiled, not embarrassed in the least, "Hey honey. Done already?"

"Didn't have much," she shook her head and walked into the room to look at what he had so far, "How much are you planning on taking?"

"Not too much," he sat on one of the suitcases to close it. He huffed as the clip finally locked into place and he could get off, "Why?"

"Are there even clothes in that suitcase?" she asked and pointed to it.

"Clothes!" he slapped his forehead, "Totally forgot about clothes. I am so used to being totally naked."

Analise blushed and pounded on her chest to make sure she didn't choke on her own saliva.

"You okay?" he asked and patted her back.

"Let me help you out here," she undid the lock on the suitcase and began to set some of the things he had aside.

He frowned in some of her choices, but became more understanding as she explained it wasn't forever and he still had the lair to come back to when he was feeling homesick. As the suitcases became lighter and he picked through his things, Analise's eyes began to wander around the room again. It landed on the old looking cat bed under a stack of older looking comic books.

"Who's Klunk?" she asked and nodded to the pet bed as his head popped up.

"That was my cat's bed," he smiled fondly and she saw a little light in his eyes dim, "He was hit by a car a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry, Mikey," she walked over to him and hugged him around the shoulders, "I know it's hard losing a companion, even years later."

"Did you have any pets?"

"I had a lot of pets through the years," she nodded, "I still have an orange tabby that lives with my dad back in California. He's too old to move here with me. And Coral, well I'm planning on-"

She suddenly stopped and Michelangelo looked at her where she caught herself in mid thought. She shut her mouth and swallowed back something difficult. She frowned a little and then walked back to the first suitcase, "Let's get this one with my stuff."

"Hey," he put a hand on her arm before she got too far. She took a deep breath and looked back at him, "Who's Coral?"

Analise closed her eyes again, "My baby girl."

"What?!" Michelangelo's eyes widened.

"My puppy," Analise said with a sad smile and he immediately calmed down. As he regained his breath she sat back down next to him on the floor, "I had to put her down a few months before we met. I went all the way back to California when I got the call that she was sick. I spent the last three days of her life with her. Before that, I had planned on bringing her out here with me with in the month. I missed her too much to leave her there."

Michelangelo wiped a stray tear that fell from her eye.

She smiled and laughed a little through her sadness, "She would have loved you. She was a people dog."

"If she was anything like her mother, I would have loved her too," he hugged her to him, "How old was she? What breed?"

"She was a border collie. Orange and white fur, absolutely beautiful. She was only four and a half."

"She was young."

"I'm sorry I got so emotional."

"You got every right to be," he rubbed her back a little, "I miss my little dude too."

"I still miss coming home to a dog. She was always happy to see me."

"Now you got me for that," he smiled and saw some of her tears dry, "Come on. I think I'm good. Let's start moving some stuff."

They both got off the floor as they heard more voices down stairs. Analise rubbed her eyes, "Oh wait! Splinter wanted to talk with you and your brothers when they got home. I talked with him before I came up."

He nodded and grabbed the heavier suitcase and nodded to the other one, "Walk me down?"

"Alright," she nodded and followed him to the main portion of the lair where Leonardo and Donatello had returned from a walk around Time Square with April, Casey and Shadow, "Hey guys. How's the first day topside in the new bodies go?"

"Decent," Leonardo shrugged, "April and Casey showed us around the hot spots."

"Decent?" Donatello smiled and pointed to a large bag that he must have brought in with him, "Do you know how many computer and software stores I got to visit without having to hide in a trench coat? It was amazing."

Michelangelo and Analise smiled at his excitement.

"What's with the suitcases, Mikey?" Leonardo pointed to them.

"Oh, well," he rubbed the back of his head, "I'm kind of… movinginwithAnalise."

"What?" Leonardo asked with a raised brow.

"Just to make sure that thing doesn't come after her when she's in her apartment."

"You're moving back?"

"Just got the news today," she shrugged.

"What about Deidra?"

"She's moving back too, much to Raphael's concern," she rolled her eyes and toward the hallway, "I should probably go get him. Splinter wanted to talk with you guys."

"But what about this whole moving situation?" Leonardo asked and turned his eyes to a very nervous looking Michelangelo.

"So Splinter, yeah?" Michelangelo pointed to their sensei's room and began to speed walk toward the relative safety of the room.

An hour had passed and two shirts were thrown on the floor after Raphael came into Deidra's room to help her pack; a loud knock at the door pulled them both out from their focus on one another. He huffed a little at the intrusion and how Deidra now was searching for her shirt. She smoothed out her hair and he just crossed his arms over his chest.

"Get your shirt back on," she whispered to him.

"Like they don't know what we were doing anyway," he smirked and leaned against the back wall of the room.

Deidra smiled and faced the door, "Coming."

She opened the door to an Analise with a knowing smile over her features, "Raph here?"

"Like you don't know," she waved her in.

"Hey Raph," Analise waved at him and sat herself down on Deidra's bed. She wasn't as surprised as he thought she'd be without his shirt on. She crossed her legs Indian style and looked up at him, "Splinter wanted to talk with you and your brothers. Leo and Don just got back from topside."

"Sounds interesting," he picked up his shirt and shoved it on. He made a quick look to Deidra, "I will come by to help finish up later."

"Looking forward to it," she nodded and watched him leave.

"Soooo…." Analise said and laid on her bed on her stomach, "I was thinking about something."

"What's wrong?"

"How are we going to train with Splinter in the mornings if we are in our apartment?"

"My sons," Splinter acknowledged them as they entered his room and sat on pillows in front of him, "I feel a slight shift in the energy around the lair."

"Different bodies do have a different rhythm, father," Leonardo said and looked down at his arms and hands.

"This is more than a physical change," Splinter shook his head, "You all have grown into honorable men that I am proud to call my sons. With the addition of our two female students I have seen other changes in attitude and motivation. Michelangelo, for example, has taken a huge interest in his studies to become a better tutor."

Michelangelo beamed from Splinter noticing his hard work.

"While others had become more distracted, it seems."

Both Leonardo and Raphael looked at one another and then looked away.

"Your brother is still your brother, no matter what disagreement there may be," Splinter reminded them.

"There isn't too much of a disagreement anymore," Leonardo sighed, "Deidra and I had talked before the change and decided that friendship is the best course of action."

"I see," Splinter turned his attention to Raphael, "And have you talked to her Raphael?"

"I have," Raphael said which gained Leonardo's attention. Raphael took a deep breath, "I have asked Deidra if I could court her."

"And?" Leonardo asked with a bit of a strained voice.

"She said yes," Raphael answered with a bit of a frown, "Why? Was that wrong, Leo?"

"N-no," Leonardo shook his head and thought to himself. He took his own cleansing breath, put a hand on Raphael's shoulder and looked him in the eyes, "You better take good care of her."

"Thanks, Leo," Raphael nodded and knocked his hand off his shoulder with a smirk, "Enough of the loving brother stuff, huh?"

Leonardo smiled and knew that it was the way that he and Raphael always were. They were brothers; they cared for one another, but still could be at one another's throats.

"Something still feels as if there is more news to share," Splinter urged his sons.

"Well… now that you mention it," Michelangelo rubbed the back of his head with a large grin on his face. Splinter turned his full attention to him, "Analise and Deidra are moving back to their apartment. I was going to join Analise to make sure that mutant doesn't start anything."

"And I will be goin' with Deidra," Raphael said quickly after which surprised even Michelangelo.

"I think it best we discuss this with the girls," Splinter said and shifted his weight as if he was going to get up.

"I'll get them," Donatello held out a hand to stop Splinter from going too far. He walked out the doors and toward the girls' rooms.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Leonardo asked Raphael and Michelangelo.

"Bro, I understand that you are worried," Michelangelo answered first, "But I am not going to let my girl stay unprotected in a place that I know this guy has all ready found her once before. It's reinforced, yeah, but I would feel a lot better if I could be there to help her if she needs it. That's why we train, right? To protect?"

"I can't let her fight this on her own," Raphael added and looked at Leonardo, "And you know her stubborn streak. She will leave like it or not, and she won't be a match for this guy. Especially if he brings back up."

Leonardo stayed silent and thought over their points.

"Found them," Donatello said as he entered the room again and had both girls follow him in.

Analise sat next to Michelangelo at the end while Deidra sat between Leonardo and Raphael. They both bowed their heads in respect to Splinter.

"My sons say that they have decided to join you in your move back topside," Splinter mentioned and both girls raised their heads.

"They didn't give us much choice in the matter," Deidra said with a small smile.

"Are they welcomed?" Splinter asked suddenly.

"Of course they are," Analise chimed in, "As are all of you. You are all like family to me and to Deidra."

"And you will treat them with respect," he narrowed his eyes at Raphael and Michelangelo.

Michelangelo took hold of one of Analise's hands and squeezed it in his. Raphael seemed to sit straighter as they both answered Splinter at the same time.

"Always."

"Then I believe that the only thing to discuss is your continuing training," he looked at both girls, "If you are not here, I cannot physically train you."

"We aren't leaving forever, Splinter," Analise tried to reassure him.

"We also talked about that," Deidra said, "We do not take our training lightly. We will come down when you set the time, Splinter. Neither one of us are willing to just drop it."

"Very good," he nodded, "Then I will train you in the evenings, and then on the weekends. Any other time, I assume that you could be tutored by those living near you. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes, Master Splinter."

"Then I think that a celebration is in order," Splinter stood up as the others followed suit, "Time to eat."

"Jenson!" Seeper yelled as he hit her across her shoulder blades and made her wince, "What's wrong? Your workouts getting to you again?"

"No, more like a new boyfriend," she twisted her back a little as a loud pop sounded from her vertebrae, "Much better."

"Boyfriend? Like monogamous, only one?" he asked as she frowned. He held up his hands in front of his face just in case she felt the urge to hit something, "I was just asking!"

"Yes monogamous," she rolled her eyes.

"Anyone I know?"

"No," Deidra decided to try a different direction of discussion, "What's going on in the case?"

"Nothing."

"Seeper, don't pull that," she shook her head, "You know with serial killers like this they never stop unless they are dead or in prison. So, what is he waiting for?"

"Maybe the right victim?" Seeper asked as they both came up to the victim flow board, "He seems to be all over the board the last few victims."

"Yeah," she rubbed her neck, "I don't like the idea of waiting. Where is everybody else?"

"At home or researching," he shrugged, "Serena has been pouring over her notes to see a correlation or something between the victims. She even is conferring with her niece who is a geneticist."

"We can use all the help we can get," she sighed.

"Look, we have patrols in his usual pickup places," Seeper tried to calm her down.

"Something tells me that patrols won't deter this guy," Deidra shook her head, "No, he's waiting. I just don't know for what. And that's what bugs me the most about it."

"It's been a few days," Seeper put a hand on either one of her shoulders, "How about you head back to your place, settle back in? Invite your boyfriend over and relax, for heaven's sake. I will call you if any more details come up."

She didn't like the idea of waiting, but some more time to spend with Raphael did sound like a great idea in her mind, "You swear? I will be the first person on your phone?"

"I swear," he nodded and his eyes widened, "I almost forgot. We're having a Halloween party in the department here in a tomorrow night. Bring some family and that roommate of yours. Costumes and all."

Deidra sighed, but remembered that Analise and Michelangelo did pick up a few costumes the other day. She shrugged, "What time?"

"Around six pm," he smiled, "The whole team will be here along with their families. It will be a great time."

"We'll see about that," Deidra rolled her eyes, "See you then or sooner."