I blinked my eyes slowly, focusing in on the unfamiliar sounds and surroundings. The room was dimly lite by a small crack of light from the slightly ajar door. I read the time on the alarm clock next to me: 3:55 AM. I sat up, pushing a few messy strands of hair out of my face. I was in a room covered in posters. A few I could make out as ones from movies or bands. Long pipes ran along the ceiling and there were shelves lining each of the walls, full of what looked like books and other random knickknacks. There was an oddly shaped object over in the far corner, and at first I thought it was a person, making my heart start to race. Then, as my eyes got used to the darkness, I realized that it was a punching bag. The bed I was in was huge, and I had about five blankets piled on top of me. The feeling of my hot skin made me understand why I had woken up: I was burning up under all the covers.

Carefully, I pushed them aside and put my feet to the floor, which was covered by a large rug. I padded slowly to the door and found myself standing in a long hallway. I listened, hearing the sounds of the TV echoing from the living room. The cement floor didn't creak as I walked, so I didn't have to worry about waking anyone up as I ventured towards the noise.

Raphael was sleeping on the couch, laying on his stomach with his arms folded under his head. All the armor had been stripped off, exposing more of his green skin. He had no weapons at his side, and no red mask covering his face. I looked at him for a long moment, taking in each and every detail. I looked at his shell - now noticing a red symbol painted on it - and at the way his body rose with each breath. His features looked so gentle as he slept. He really was magnificent, something so amazing I didn't think I'd ever have the words to properly describe him.

I turned around and made my way back to the room before he could wake up and catch me. He was a ninja after all. This time when I entered the room, my eyes found a set of hooks next to the door. On them hung both of Raphael's weapons, his armor, and the red mask. I reached out and touched one of the three sharp points before I climbed back into the giant bed, this time pulling only one of the covers over me. I fell asleep quickly, lost into dreamland once more.

When me eyes opened again, the clock read 7:20 AM. Even though I had woken up briefly during the night, I felt more rested than I had in a while. The room was still dark, what with there being no windows, but I was able to poke around the walls until I found the main light switch. Now that I could properly see, the first thing I headed for was the mirror. I took in my rumpled clothes, messy hair, and left over make up smudged around my eyes. Great, I was a mess. I wondered if I could sneak out to the living room before anyone saw me to retrieve my purse.

As I headed quietly over to the door, I noticed that at the foot of the bed were my shoes and bag. A rush of relief went through me, and I set to work. If I couldn't change my clothes, at least I'd be able to tie my hair up and apply some lip gloss. I slipped my shoes back on once I had finished and left the room. The brothers were no where to be seen or heard, but I found Splinter in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, a cup of what I guessed to be tea sitting before him.

"Good morning." He greeted me warmly.

"Good morning." I replied, feeling embarrassed that I had stayed the night. I sat down across from him. "I hope I didn't over stay my welcome. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"You are welcome here when ever and for how ever long you would like to stay." He said kindly.

I nodded sheepishly, hoping my cheeks didn't turn too red.

"Are you hungry?" Splinter asked.

"Uhm, I'll wait for the others to eat." I said, wondering where they were.

Raphael was no longer on the couch, so I assumed that they were all awake. Again I felt embarrassed for sleeping in longer than everyone else.

"You might be waiting a while, my dear. They do not eat until after their morning practice."

I was about to say that was fine with me, but before I opened my mouth, my stomach grumbled in protest. "Maybe something to tide me over."

"We have plenty of choices. Would you prefer cereal, or a granola bar? Perhaps some fruit? We also have an wide variety of those pastries you put into the toaster."

I giggled. "Poptarts?"

Splinter made a face. "No, not those dreadful things. The other ones."

"Uhm, Toaster Strudel?" I guessed.

"Ah yes, those are the ones." He said, getting up and pulling a box out of the freezer. I saw that they were the strawberry flavored ones.

"Those are my favorite." I said, about to get up and help him.

"Sit." He commanded firmly, waving me off as he started to open the container. "Or if you would like to freshen up, there is a bathroom down the hall. Fourth door on your right."

Now that he had mentioned it, I noticed how badly I needed to pee. I went back down the corridor, noting that there were many closed doors along the way. I figured some of them were bedrooms, but I wondered what could be behind the others.

Again, I was astonished to find that the bathroom was just as spotless as the rest of their home. I peeked around a bit when I was done, seeing many different types of liquids and large, thick bristled brushes. I wondered if they were for the turtle's shells. I left the bathroom to find Splinter coming down the hall, a plate and cup of what appeared to be orange juice in his paws.

"Thank you." I said, as he handed them to me. I then stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do next. "Should I uh, go back to the living room while they practice?"

"No, no." Splinter said, motioning for me to follow him. "I think it will be good for them to have an audience."

I detected a bit of slyness in his voice. We walked down the passage for a few more moments before we came to the end, which opened up into a large, circular room. There were many different objects spread around it: punching bags, dummys with bulls-eyes painted on them, and various types of weights. The four brothers were against the far wall, appearing to have just finished putting on all of the armor that they usually wore around their knees, elbows, chests, and feet.

"Mornin' sunshine!" Mikey greeted me cheerfully. "Are you ready to see me kick these guys' ass- er, butts?" He said, giving Splinter a sheepish grin and then playfully punching Donatello in the arm, leaving Donatello looking rather un-amused.

"Absolutely." I replied, laughing.

Splinter pulled a chair over to one of the far corners for me to sit in. I made myself comfortable, not sure what to expect next. I noticed that Raphael was looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he taped up his fists.

An hour came and went, and the entire time I was in absolute awe of the brothers. What they could do was amazing, each one of them a complete powerhouse in their own unique way. I watched them practice together, against each other, and also against Splinter, who beat them all every time. Every movement Splinter made was flawless and full of strength, which was not something I had expected to see from him. I suspected him to be far older than he appeared to be, but that didn't seem to hinder him in any way.

Splinter dismissed them not long after the hour passed, and I was sad, wishing I could watch them practice all day long. He came over to stand beside me.

"Are they done?" I questioned.

"No. They are to clear their minds for a moment before the end, where they must fight against each other once more." He explained.

I watched as each turtle rebound their hands and feet, rolling their shoulders and cracking their knuckles. None of them spoke - even Mikey.

Donatello and Leonardo then stepped into the middle of the room and bowed before each other. They each took up a starting stance, and then began.

"Tell me what you see." Splinter said to me. I wasn't sure what he meant.

"Tell me what you notice about how they each fight." He further explained after seeing my confused expression.

I watched the two brothers for a while, trying to concentrate on each of their movements. I didn't want to give a bad answer - I wanted to impress Splinter.

"Donatello is thinking too much," I said finally. I could see the way his brow was furrowed as he fought. "He looks like he is trying to calculate every movement Leonardo is about to make, and then figure out what move he should do after."

I then focused on the blue masked turtle. "Leonardo seems to be too focused on his technique. Every move is executed perfectly, but when you were fighting him, I noticed that you were always able to break his defenses because you knew exactly what he would do next."

Splinter was quiet for a moment after I finished, and I wondered if I had sounded like an idiot.

"Very good." He finally praised me. "Very good observations."

The two brothers fought for a little while longer, but then Leonardo prevailed. They moved off of the floor as Mikey and Raphael took their places. My heart bounced around in my chest as I took the opportunity to soak in every detail about Raphael - he was by far the most intense one to watch fight. They bowed to each other just as the others had done. Mikey looked very serious, which was something I wasn't used to.

"Again, tell me what you see." Splinter said as they began to fight. This match up was easier to figure out.

"Michelangelo is all over the place. You can tell he isn't thinking about what he is doing, which has it's advantages. It makes him unpredictable. But he also isn't thinking about his opponent, and that makes him weak."

I cringed as Raphael took Mikey to the ground, and I thought the fight would be over. Mikey got away though, just barely.

"Raphael..." I said, my insides twisting in both wonder and nerves at the sight of his power. "He is the strongest. He overpowers the others; that is how he wins. He is a strong fighter, almost as strong as Leonardo, but its easy to see that he thinks he can win from his strength alone. That is where his weakness is."

Despite my comments, Raphael finally pinned down Mikey and won. Their fight had been much shorter than the other. The two defeated brothers came over to stand beside Splinter and I, looking worn out.

"Surprise, surprise. Raph and Leo." Mikey muttered, kneeling down next to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly.

"Usually their match ups don't end well." Mikey said, giving me a look.

Ah. So, Leonardo and Raphael beat their younger brothers, and then Leonardo beat Raphael. That explained some of the tension between the two oldest turtles.

Their fight was the most intense to watch. I could tell that they were going all out on each other, each trying their hardest to prevail. I felt anxious watching them, like they were both ticking time bombs. No one on the sidelines moved or spoke. Splinter was the only one who looked completely calm.

I could tell that they were both tired. Sweat dripped down their faces and arms, but they fought on. It was then that Raphael launched off the ground, landing a high kick square in Leonardo's chest. The blue masked turtle fell, his weapon still in his hand, but he wasn't quick enough to get back on his feet. His sword was knocked from his grip, and Raphael was the winner.

"Woah." Mikey said under his breath.

Woah, indeed.

The room was silent, no one daring to be the first to speak. Leonardo got up slowly and held out his hand, a peace offering to his brother, but Raphael didn't take it. He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Leonardo looking hurt. I glanced over at Mikey and all he could do was shrug at me.

I wasn't exactly sure what compelled me to get up and go after Raphael, but before I could stop myself, I was already at the door.

"You all did an amazing job. Thank you for letting me watch." I said to the others before I left, giving them all a smile.

I found Raphael in his room, wiping down his face with a towel. He didn't even seem to notice me come in, but I'm sure he knew. I'd seen his body language change as soon as I had entered. I pondered how to start the conversation. Bringing up the fight didn't seem like a good idea, at least not right off the bat, so I went for a different approach.

"Thank you for letting me sleep in your bed. I would have been fine on the couch." I said softly, making sure to keep my distance. "But, I appreciated it."

"You're welcome." He replied. "You looked tired, and that couch sucks."

I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say next.

"Where you... warm enough?" He asked, his voice hesitant.

My eyes met his and I couldn't keep a smile from forming on my lips. "Yes. Very."

"Good." He seemed embarrassed at showing any signs of caring, his voice getting gruffer. "Donnie said you might feel the cold more than we do down here. So I got extra blankets."

I nodded. Now the intense amount of covers made sense. My eyes wandered away from him to all the posters around the room. Now that I was actually taking the time to look at them, I saw that many of the pictures were of bands and movies that I loved.

"We like a lot of the same things." I observed, moving over the shelves to examine the books on it.

So far, I realized, this was the first real conversation we'd had. It was nice to talk about normal things with him, instead of mutations and me almost dying.

"So, uh. You're a very skilled fighter." I told him, trying to sound casual but knowing that I had failed horribly.

"I practice a lot." He said, his eyes narrowing slightly. He seemed suspicious of me, like he didn't trust that I actually was complimenting him.

"Well, it's impressive." I replied honestly, looking right at him as I said it. "Not many people have the ability to do what you can. People like me, for instance. I can't even walk in a straight line most of the time."

He was just staring at me as I talked... It was like he couldn't figure out why I was making jokes instead of taking the first chance I had to leave. It was an expression of both curiosity and suspicion.

"What are they called?" I asked, motioning to the two three-pointed weapons at his sides. It was something I had been wondering about since I first saw them.

"Sai." Raphael answered.

Before either of us could say another word, the door opened and Mikey stuck his head in.

"Yo! Breakfast a la Mikey is being served in two minutes. If you want a say of what goes in your food, I suggest you hurry up."

And then he was gone. Raphael shook his head in annoyance.

"That sounds kind of scary." I commented, giggling nervously.

"You know you don't have to stay." Raphael said, his tone flat, like he was trying to show no emotion. "I can take you home."

At first, I was a bit let down by his words. I was surprised at just how much I didn't want to go... No, I didn't want to leave at all, and as I looked at him, I didn't see a face that actually wanted me to leave. Instead, I saw someone who had no idea how to say that he wanted me to stay. This was a person who probably never thought he would talk to another person aside from his family.

"Go home? Nah, you're gonna have to deal with being stuck with me for a little while longer." I teased.

Raphael just shrugged and motioned for me to lead the way. We journeyed back to the kitchen.

"You are so lucky, bro. I was seriously just about to put jelly beans in you're pancakes." Mikey said, not even turning around as we entered the room.

How did he do that?

The kitchen was a huge mess. Pots and pans were spread out everywhere, a huge bag of pancake mix was spilling over, and the water to the faucet was on even though no one was even near it. Mikey was standing in front of the oven, cooking, I assumed, but who knew with him.

"Do it and I'll kill you." Raphael said, making it sound more like a dare than a threat.

The other turtles were sitting around the table. I noticed that Leonardo was acting un-phased by Raphael, as were the others. I had a strong feeling that what had happened between the two oldest wasn't that usual.

Donatello was reading the paper, a cup of something hot and dark in front of him.

"Is that coffee?" I asked hopefully, turning off the faucet to the sink as I passed by it, and then taking the seat next to Leonardo so that Raphael wouldn't have to.

"It's hot chocolate. We don't allow coffee in the house." Leonardo said dryly.

"Yeah, it makes Mikey even more of a pain in the ass than he is already." Raphael elaborated, after seeing my confused expression.

He knocked Mikey lightly in the arm, who ignored him, still busy tending to what looked like four separate pans on the stove top.

"Gotcha." I replied, chuckling. I watched as Raphael grabbed two cups and began to fill them up. He put one in front of me as he sat in the chair next to mine.

"Thank you." I said with a grin.

Raphael seemed a little bit different after our talk in his room. He was still hard to read, his eyes as serious as they always were. I took a drink of the hot chocolate and was overcome with it's deliciousness.

"Oh my god." I said in shock. "This is so good."

"Thanks Lil, its my special recipe!" Mikey called over to me. "It's taken years to perfect."

"Well if your cooking is as good as this is, you guys will never get rid of me. Seriously. Food is my weakness."

"Good job, Raph." Mikey laughed. "I'm glad you saved her life."

My cheeks turned red, I'm sure, so I just continued to drink my hot chocolate. It was then that the plates began flying.

Mikey was flinging them from the stove onto the table, and they were sliding across the surface, landing in front of each turtle and myself perfectly. Now, I was really impressed. A stack of what looked like chocolate chip pancakes and eggs sat before me. I dug into the food happily, the toaster strudel long forgotten in my mind. I was starving.

"So?" Mikey prompted after a minute. He sounded nervous.

"I'm never leaving." I replied simply, which got a cheer from Mikey, and laughs from the others.

As we chatted and ate, there was no mention of what had happened during practice that morning. I was going to ask where Splinter was, but I got a feeling that I should keep my mouth shut. His absence may have been tied to the tension between the two brothers, and I didn't want to be the one who brought it up by being nosy. When I finished my food I took my plates over the sink, which immediately got me into trouble.

"Don't even think about it, Lily." Leonardo said sternly as he saw me about to pick up a sponge. "Mikey made the mess, Mikey cleans it up."

"I was just going to rinse it o-" I stopped talking as Leonardo's glare deepened.

"Oookay." I said, going back to my seat. I wasn't about to challenge his authority.

"Don't worry, Lil. It won't be me doing all the work." Mikey said smugly. "Raph is gonna help me, aren't ya bro?"

Even I knew those were fighting words. I saw Raphael clench his fists, shooting Mikey a look that could kill. But, he didn't actually say anything. No threat, no snarky comeback... nothing. I was shocked and it seemed like I wasn't the only one. Leonardo and Donatello were looking between the two like they had just stepped into an alternate universe.

"Well..." Leonardo said finally, breaking the silence. "While you two are doing that, I'm going to get cleaned up."

"And I uh, need to finish something in my lab." Donatello said, as he rushed out of the room right on Leonardo's heels.

"If you need to shower or uh, something, you can use the bathroom that's across from my room." Raphael said as he stood up, hands full of dirty plates. "That's mine."

"You have more than one?" I asked. I had assumed that Leonardo was going to shower when he said he would be getting cleaned up.

"Oh, yeah." Mikey said, like it was a big deal. "When we only had one, it was war around here. Like, after practice, it was a big problem who got to use it first. After Splinter of course, cause you know, he's our father and -"

"Mikey." Raphael hissed, his annoyance finally coming to surface. "Stop talking and help me."

I figured that I was probably being more of a distraction than a help by staying in the kitchen, and a shower did sound good.

"Use whatever you want." Raphael said as I stood up. "Towels should be in there."

"Thanks." I replied, leaving the two brothers to clean, hopefully, in peace.