I was completely out of it the next morning. Not only had I been far too distracted to properly sleep, for what was now going on about ten nights in a row, but it was also my Friday at work. I had been even more anxious for the day to be over. I just wanted to be at home, so I could lay around in my pajamas and mope.

After what felt like a lifetime, I reached my building, ran up the stairs, and threw open my door to the sanctuary of my apartment. You could imagine the shock that I felt when my eyes landed on Raphael sitting on my couch, looking like he had been waiting there for a while.

"What are you doing here?!" I exclaimed as I quickly closed and locked the door behind me. No need for the neighbors to know about my new friends.

"I need you to come with me." Raphael stated as he stood up. It seemed like he was nervous.

"Uhm, sure..." I replied, setting down my bag. "Can I change first?"

He nodded. I hurried into my room and changed out of my work clothes, throwing on jeans and hoodie, as well as my jacket. The coldness was growing more intense everyday and I had no idea where their home was. I briefly wondered if I should have been afraid, instead of excited, about going with him... I mean, for all I knew, Raphael could have been taking me away to kill me. Perhaps their Sensei had decided that I was a flight risk. But, in reality, it wasn't like I had a choice. I had to go with him, and if that was the case, there would be no way for me to stop him. Worrying would do me no good.

"So, where are we going?" I questioned as I went back out to the living room. "Do I need to bring any-" I stopped short as he bent over and scooped me up like I weighed nothing, which really made my self esteem sky rocket. "Hey, what are you-"

"Hold on." He instructed as he headed towards the window. "And try not to look down."

"Wait, we aren't going to...?" I sputtered frantically as he lowered himself through the window, careful to not let my feet or head hit the frame. Again, he was nothing but graceful. He carried me quickly up the fire escape to the rooftop.

"Raphael, I'm really not sure... I can walk you know..."

And then he was running towards the edge of the building. I flung my arms around his neck, snapped my eyes shut, and buried my face in his chest. I felt him jump and land again, this repeating for a while, with the occasional drop coming along. I'm not exactly sure where we went, what route he took, or how far we went. The whole time I focused on his steady breathing. It sounded like he was taking a stroll through the woods, not swinging around like Tarzan through the city. Part of me was impressed, but I knew I wouldn't truly appreciate his abilities until I was safely on the ground.

We stopped finally, and I slowly opened my eyes to see that we were only a few feet up in the air above an alley. It seemed like the area was totally abandoned. A surge of fear shot through me. This looked like the perfect place to kill someone...

"Tuck your feet in tight." He ordered.

"Why?" I squeaked, my voice a few pitches too high, but I immediately did what he said.

And then he jumped again. It took me a moment to realize what exactly he was aiming for on the ground... I then saw the open manhole. It seemed like it would be impossible for us to fit, and I whimpered, closing my eyes again and trying not to shriek. The drop felt like forever. I felt the air get cooler and muskier. I felt the light go away. And then he landed on the ground, the sound of his feet hitting a small puddle echoing around us. I lifted my head slowly, my eyes taking a minute to adjust to the darkness of the sewer.

"You live down here?" I asked.

"Yeah."

Well, this was not at all what I had expected.

I was hoping that he would put me down now that we seemed to have arrived to our destination, but he didn't. He carried me few feet down the tunnel until we came to a skate board sitting upright against the wall.

Raphael kicked it lightly and sent it rolling across the ground. He stepped onto it easily, and again, we were off.

This seemed slightly more relaxing at least, so I finally un-stiffened my muscles and brushed the hair out of my face. I tried to move as little as possible so I wouldn't throw off his concentration or balance, but he seemed completely un-bothered as he carried me. We wound around corners, gaining speed as the sewer went deeper and deeper underground. Lights freckled the walls every few feet, and I wondered if they had always been there or if the turtles had put them in. I then started to see security cameras in the corners of the ceiling. Those were definitely not left over. We were obviously in a part of the system that was no longer used, which from what I understood about most sewer systems, was a lot since modern technology had taken over.

It took at least fifteen minutes for us to reach our destination. Raphael stopped and finally set me down gently. I wobbled a bit, feeling like I had just gotten off of an amusement park ride. I followed him as we walked down another corridor. This part was completely lite up. I noticed more and more cameras. The air was much warmer down here, and I found myself unzipping my coat as we walked.

We rounded another corner, and that's when we came to a large metal door. Raphael punched a code into a box on the wall, and with a loud "click!" the door unlocked. He motioned for me to go in first and I did, slowly, unsure what I might find on the other side. I entered a room that looked like a typical mudroom. There were skateboards, longboards, and even a few bikes leaning up against the wall, along with an ancient washer and dryer that had wires sticking out of them in many places I was sure wire was not supposed to go. Raphael set his board down with the rest, then pushed back the curtain that hung on the other side of the room, acting as a divider.

Again, he motioned for me to go through. This time I found myself in what I guessed to be the living room. There were two couches and three big chairs situated around four giant televisions. It was a large area, with a kitchen section off to the right of where I was standing. It appeared to have all the basic appliances - ranging from old to new - and a table with mismatched chairs. Surprisingly, for being located in the sewer, the space was homey and spotless. If it wasn't for the thick cement walls, slight odor, and lack of windows, it would've almost seemed like a normal house. There was another passageway across from the one I had just come in from, which I assumed led to the other rooms of their home. It was quiet, only the sound of my own excited heartbeat in my ears.

"How did you do all of this?" I asked Raphael in awe as I looked around, trying to take it all in.

He shrugged. "We've lived down here since we were young. Splinter, our father and Sensei, had to steal at first. But then we found other ways. You'd be surprised at the things people just leave laying around on the streets. Some of it we kept, some we sold for money to get other things. It's just all added up."

"Splinter?" I asked. "Is he like you and your brothers?"

I bit my lip with regret as soon as I spoke, hoping that the question didn't come off as being rude.

"Not quite."

I jumped at the sound of a new voice - a much older, softer voice. I turned away from Raphael towards the other end of the room where a large humanoid rat stood, leaning slightly against a cane. He had a long nose, brown fur that was flecked with grey around his eyes, and long white whiskers. His eyes were curiously looking me up and down.

He was much shorter than Raphael and his brothers. He wore a long red robe, tied at the waist with a rope belt. His ears had a few nicks in them, and a long tail laid on the ground beside him. For being a rat, he still had an air about him that I had never witnessed in a human. He seemed wise, calm, and totally un-phased that his turtle son had just brought a human girl into his house.

This was who they were talking about on the roof last night?

"It is nice to meet you, Lily." Splinter said, coming across the room to stand in front of me. He gave me a slight bow of his head.

"It's nice to meet you too. Thank you for letting me come to your home." I replied politely, feeling overwhelmed, but not exactly in a bad way.

My whole idea of the world was totally shattered. I didn't know if these turtles and their rat father were aliens, creatures from the deep, or... just things, but everything I thought I had known was gone. Now, I only had questions.

Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and now Splinter... Who had given them those names? Exactly how long had they been down here, hiding from humans?

All I knew was that if I was freaked out by being here, they were all probably freaked about me being here as well. Like I had pretty much already figured out, they hadn't ever planned on interacting with humans, at least not this soon. Raphael had risked a lot by saving me that night.

"I am sure you have many questions." Splinter said, motioning with his hand to the table and chairs. "But first, please sit and have some tea. Raphael, my son, your brothers are all practicing. Go and join them. I will keep Lily busy until you are done."

Raphael nodded, giving me one last look, his eyes hard to read, before going through the other passageway and vanishing.

"Come." Splinter urged, taking my arm in his. He was even an inch or two shorter than me. He lead me to the table. I sat down as he gathered a pot and tea from the cupboards that lined the walls. Once the water was started, he sat down across from me and folded his hands, seeming completely at ease.

"I am sure this is all very overwhelming for you." He said simply.

"It was." I admitted. "At first. I'm getting used to it though. I've always believed in things... things like this." I finished awkwardly, hoping that he would understand what I meant.

He nodded. "As you can imagine, I have always feared for my sons. The few humans I have known in my life were very cruel, blinded by greed and hatred. I did as much as I could to protect them from what I have witnessed - what I know humans are capable of. But, I knew this day would come."

"Raphael saved my life." I responded. "He didn't mean to show himself. He was just trying to help me and I kind of... forced him to."

"I know." Splinter said with a small smile. "I have tried to raise my sons to have pure hearts. I am glad to see that my words were not wasted and that my training has paid off."

"Training?" I questioned. It seemed like an odd word to use in that statement.

"Yes, training. I knew from the start that if the worst were to happen, they would need a way to defend themselves. Since they could walk, they have been learning the art of karate."

Ah. Now it all finally made sense. The gracefulness, all the leaping, and jumping around from building to building. The weapons. Calling Splinter "Sensei". They were... ninjas.

The sound of the kettle blaring brought me out of my thoughts. Splinter reached up with his tail and removed it from the burner to cool. I tried not to stare.

"So." I said, attempting to sort this all out in my mind. "You knew karate before they did?"

"When I was young, my owner was a master of the art. I watched him from my cage everyday as he practiced. My mind wasn't as strong as it is now, but I retained the information through the mutation, and taught it to my sons."

"Mutation?" I asked, wondering if I had heard that part right.

"Yes." He nodded, then got up and started to prepare the tea. "That is how we became what we are. My sons and I were once tests subjects in my former master's lab. He was trying to create a cure for all the known diseases. While that may seem like a noble endeavor, he also had dark dreams of using this cure to have the world answer to only himself and his followers, whom he calls the Foot Clan."

Splinter set a cup of tea before me, but I was too busy listening to his story to even touch it. Mutants? The Foot Clan? Cure? World domination?

"One night, a fire started in the lab. The scientists working for my master grabbed our cages and put them on the side of the street. But, before they could bring us to safety, there was an explosion and our cages were knocked open. I lead my sons into the sewer. You must understand that at this point, my brain was already functioning at the capacity of a human. I knew we were not safe there any longer and I knew my old master was a cruel man. Once in the sewers, the mutation finally began to take hold, turning us into what we are now. If we had been in that laboratory for only a little while longer, he would have had what he wanted... more than what he had wanted."

Splinter then casually took a sip of his tea.

My mind was racing. The words of his story ran through my head over and over. It seemed crazy to believe what he was saying, but as I sat there, across the table from a walking, talking rat, I took a deep breath and centered myself: this was real. What I was hearing was real. I wondered if I had ever seen the power hungry man who had done this on TV or in the paper.

I also felt sad for them, living down here, always afraid that their sanctuary might be found. They were strong, smart, and seemingly kind people. It was unfair that they had to live in fear.

I picked up my cup of tea and sipped some of the sweet liquid. "What happened to that man? Your old master?" I asked.

"I do not know. This was many years ago. I have not heard news of him since. Even back then, only few knew his real name, and the rest only heard whispers of him. He traveled here from Japan long before your time. That is how he knew so much about the ancient teachings of karate. He trained with the masters there when he was just a boy."

"Do you think he died in the fire?"

"No." Splinter said, his bushy eyebrows furrowing. "Men like him do not die that easily."

A chill went up my spin at those words. Splinter was obviously still very troubled about this man, and that made my stomach feel uneasy. I continued to drink my tea, savoring every drop since it was some of the best that I'd ever tasted.

"Would you care to stay and eat with us?" Splinter asked kindly, tilting his head to the side, his eyes watching me.

I knew he was probably just as curious about me as his sons were, and that he probably thought he had scared me off by telling me the truth about their origin. He had done the exact opposite however - I was now so drawn into their story that I wanted nothing more to stay and spend more time with them.

"I'd love to." I responded happily. "I mean, so long as you don't think Rap-the others, won't mind."

I had wanted to say Raphael, but that seemed awkward. I couldn't figure out if Raphael enjoyed my company, or if he wished that he had never saved me in the first place. My stomach twisted as I thought about the latter. I hoped that wasn't the case.

Even though I had tried to cover up what I had meant to say, it was obvious that Splinter knew what I had intended to ask by the amused look on his face.

"I know they would be thrilled if you stayed. I hope you don't mind pizza. It seems to be their favorite, so we eat it quite often. It's also the easiest food to have delivered, and the place we order from doesn't ask questions." He explained as he pulled what looked like some kind of cell phone from his robes.

"Questions?" I asked, silently laughing to myself at the fact that four insanely well trained ninja turtles loved pizza. I didn't think it was possible to shock me any more than I had been these last few days, but that was something I would have never guessed.

"Our pizzas have to be delivered, well, discreetly." He explained as he typed something into the phone, and then a moment later had a very pleasant conversation with the person who took the order.

I tried to not look horrified as he ordered six pizzas, all with an assortment of different toppings, including a cheese and olive one for me. At the very end, he requested that the pizza "be slipped into the gutter on the corner of 4th and Union" and then I understood what he'd meant by "discreet". Its not like they could just have it delivered to their front door, after all.

Once that had been taken care of, he offered me more tea, which I gladly accepted. Just as he began to pour it into my cup, I heard the voices of the four brothers. Mikey was the first to appear and he gave me a huge smile.

"She's still here!" He called back to the others, before sinking onto one of the couches. "We thought you mighta skipped out after hearing, you know, that we're mutants and all that. But don't worry Lil, I knew you'd stay."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well thanks, Mikey. Who thought I would leave?"

He was just about to answer me when the others entered the room. Raphael looked like he was wanting to kill Mikey as he passed him by. Mikey then pointed quickly to Leonardo behind his back, as an answer to my question. No surprise there, I guess.

"Do not get too comfortable." Splinter said to them. "I just called in the order for dinner. Lily is joining us."

All at once, each turtle got a smile on their face, even Leonardo and Raphael - although those two were obviously trying to hide it. Mikey jumped up off of the couch in excitement.

"You can watch Survivor with us!" He exclaimed. "It's the finale tonight and it's gonna be superrrr intense."

His brothers all groaned in unison, apparently not a fan of the reality show.

"Sure." I said, not wanting to be mean to the youngest turtle. "I haven't seen any of the other episodes but I'm sur-"

"Oh no." Donatello interrupted me loudly, sounding horrified.

"Oh, don't worry. I have the whole season recorded. We'll get ya caught up. You can't just watch the ending." Mikey said, sounding even more excited, if that was possible.

The others all groaned some more, Donatello sinking into one of the large chairs, looking sulky. I bit my lip, realizing that I had just turned their one hour of torture into many. Mikey seemed oblivious to his brother's complaints, only looking at me with glee filled eyes.

"I guess that means I'm getting the pizza." Leonardo said, sounding smug, like he was getting out of a punishment. "You want to come Raph?"

"Nah, I'll stay." Raphael responded, even though I figured he would have already been out of the door. Leonardo shrugged and left.

"Come on, Lil." Mikey called, motioning to the spot next to him on the large couch.

I got up, taking my mug of tea with me, and settled in. I didn't feel so small next to Michelangelo. He was much shorter than the others, plus he was so easy going and thrilled about me staying that I didn't feel as shy as I thought I would about sitting so close to him, or being here with them all in general.

At least, I wasn't feeling shy, until Raphael took up the spot on the other side of me. I never, in a million years, would have guessed that one day I would be sandwiched between two mutant turtles, about to eat pizza and watch a marathon of Survivor. Next to Raphael, I felt tiny again, his leg about twice the size of mine. I noticed that he was careful to not sit too close or let his body touch mine. Mikey, on the other hand, had spread his legs out onto the coffee table and put his hands behind his head, seeming totally at ease.

So, there I was, sitting between the two brothers, waiting for Mikey to pull up all the episodes that I needed to watch before being worthy of seeing the finale. Donatello was reading a book in the other chair, one that looked long and had those thin tissue-like pages with the tiny words.

Each of the turtles were so different, and it was amusing just to watch them. Leonardo was the oldest, that much seemed clear. He was the one in charge, although it was easy to see that him and Raphael butted heads over that fact. There was a tension between them that even I, the newcomer, could feel.

Donatello was the brain. Seeing him read a book like that made me believe that most of the technology around their home had come from him - no offense to the others, but it didn't seem like it could have been any one else.

Mikey was the youngest, the most easy going. I could tell that there was strength to him, but not in the same way as his brothers.

And then Raphael... he was hard to pin down. I knew he had a temper, and I had already witnessed how strong he was. Physically, he was the biggest, which probably made him the toughest. There was more too him than that, though. He had risked his family's safety to save my life. What I had wondered earlier - about if he wished he had never done that - seemed to not be true. I figured that if he wanted nothing to do with me, he wouldn't have come after me in the alley yesterday or sat next to me on the couch when there were many other places to sit.

The pizza came and went, as did about six episodes of Survivor before the final episode. I had to admit, I actually got pretty into it, arguing with Mikey the entire time over who I wanted to win. In the end, my favorite was the winner, and Mikey pouted. I hadn't laughed so much in a long, long time. Even the others seemed to get sucked into the enthusiasm of their younger brother. He was absolutely contagious.

I could tell they were all truly kindhearted. They hadn't spent their lives trying to impress others, trying to dress a certain way, or be someone that they weren't. They had grown up with only each other, with family, and it had made them into a type of person I didn't think existed. They were curious about everything and they were not at all judgmental. When I spoke, I had their full attention. They listened and they learned: they saw everything in life as a lesson.

I assumed that was all Splinter's doing. I no longer feared for my life. I knew that I was safe with them.

In a way they were innocent, not corrupted like most people. As I sat with the four brothers, every terrible thing I had believed about the world seemed to fall away, bringing the belief of fairy tales and fantasy back to life within me. Something inside of me seemed to be whispering "things will never be the same."

After the show had come to an end, it came down to me to decide what we were going to watch next. Since there seemed to be no way they were all going to settle on another TV show, I suggested a movie, which went over a lot better. There had been no mention of me going home, and I had no intentions of bringing it up. Splinter had left the room long ago, saying something about meditating before bed. It was late, and as the movie started, I felt the nights of restless sleep begin to creep up on me. I found myself trying to keep my yawns at bay.

I didn't want to go home. I didn't want the night to end.

I watched as Donatello drifted off in his chair and Mikey nodded off beside me. I couldn't tell if Leonardo was sleeping or just sitting very still, because his back was turned to me. That left Raphael and I. Each moment that passed, I felt like I was sinking deeper into the couch. I eventually tucked my feet at my side, shoes left on the ground. And slowly, without really even comprehending what I was doing, I lowered my head onto Raphael's arm. I vaguely wondered if it was a bad thing to do. I waited for him to react, but he never did. He just let me rest there, falling asleep faster than I ever had in my life.