I have a horrible, horrible case of writers-block for this story, sooo the next one may be late! Sorry!

****And for my un-reviewing readers: Please review!****

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I glanced at Don, and received a shock. Was he strutting into the kitchen? I frowned. Last time he did that…he was trying to act natural. Leo, the O' Knowledgeable Leader, totally missed out on it. I decided to eavesdrop, just so I would actually accomplish something other than sitting on this darned couch.

"Don," Leo sighed with a frown, "I thought you were resting."

"I am," He replied with an obvious strain to his voice, "I, uh, I'm just hungry." Don opened the fridge and leaned into it.

Leo, the now O' Oblivious Leader, shook his head and sighed again. I couldn't help but wonder why he just sat at the table. Mikey, however, was stuck in the dojo, practicing, for bugging Donnie. I smirked; at least I could watch TV in peace. But…this was more interesting. Seeing the "Fearless Leader" be totally oblivious to Don's act. What was up with Don?

Don came out with four pieces of pizza. Only four? I frowned. Then he reached in again and brought out a soda. He glanced at the four pieces of cheese pizza and the coke, almost skeptical, then nodded and started to walk back to his room. He balanced the food in one hand, and made off for his room with a quickened pace.

As I watched him, he reached for the back of his neck, then stopped himself and pulled something out of his belt before opening his door and stepping in with the food.

Don was acting as strange as me when I re-met Cally… I wondered if it had to do something about that "surprise" he mentioned. Then again, Don was probably overworking himself, again, over the thing. But…what if the same thing was happening to him? Was out whole family gonna end out like this?


When I went back into my room, Cally was still sitting on the floor, messing with the toy robot. Then, I realized the two someones she hit me as: Mikey and Leo. Curious yet cautious.

"I brought some pizza," I smiled, sitting down in my chair and holding out the plate to her.

"Yum," Cally smiled, taking a slice. "Thanks."

"No problem," I smiled back, "A soda too." I handed her the chilled can.

She nodded her gratitude through a mouthful of cheese pizza. As she opened it, she swallowed and asked, "If you have to live in the sewers and hide, where do you get all this?"

"Friends," I replied, then took a bite. I gulped it before continuing, "One of them owns the little antique store a few buildings down from the bakery."

Cally's eyes lit up, "Oh! You mean the woman with bright red hair, usually pulled up?"

I nodded with a smile, after what happened earlier the smile was good to see. "Yeah, that's April."

"I've seen inside from the windows. Seems like a cute, little shop."

I thought for a moment, "I might get you to stay over there. When April's back from Maine, that is. It would be safer…she'd understand the situation."

"Oh…" Cally looked a little upset.

"What's wrong?" I asked before I popped the crust in.

"Nothing…" She murmured, staring at the door.

"I know, you'll get to see him," I assured softly, "Promise."

"I know…but I'm worried," She kept her eyes on the door.

"About Raph? He'll be fine," I smiled, "Nothing to worry about." From the way Cally talked about Raphy, I wondered if he had a totally opposite side from that he showed us.

"Okay," Cally muttered through a stifled yawn.

I forced myself not to catch it. It was getting late. "Why don't you go ahead and sleep on my cot?" At the time, it didn't cross my mind to ask again what Shredder wanted from Cally again since she had eaten.

"What about you?" She asked.

"Oh, its pretty normal for my brothers and I to fall asleep watching movies," I smiled, "I usually sleep in the chair in the den."

All of a sudden, her face twisted. "D-Donnie?" She stammered, quickly losing facial complexion. "I think," She covered her mouth with a hand, unable to continue.

She needn't say more. I snatched the wastebasket and placed it in front of her. This happened to Mikey every time he overate. But…all she had was a slice of pizza, hadn't even touched her second one. I wondered if they had underfed her…or fed her at all. Then again, she didn't appear underfed. I frowned, maybe the pizza was bad.

Cally leaned over, gripping the sides of the basket-luckily I put plastic bags in mine, since I sharpen pencils in there-and hurled. I covered my mouth, praying that the pizza wasn't bad, and looked the other way. Just because it happens every once and a while doesn't mean that I can watch. I might do the same as she was doing.

She coughed and then gasped before she started coughing again. "Oh no…" She managed to get out between coughs.

I looked up and just stared. A small light was emerging from the basket. Cally looked just as awed as I felt.

"What is it?" I hissed, unwilling to speak normally. Neither was I willing to look into the basket now filled with 2nd time pizza and who knows what else.

"I-it's a long story," Cally murmured, still staring. "Do you have a napkin or anything?"

I turned to my desk and picked up my most tattered and stained rag. I was going to throw that one away. I used the rags to wipe excess oil off, what I call, my new works of art.

Cally reached in with the cloth and brought out the light source. As she held it in the middle of the cloth I saw an orb, crystal it appeared. It gave off light, but not enough to hurt my eyes.

"D-did that come out of…" My voice faded off. Was this all some weird dream? Was I going to wake up with one of my brother's hanging over me to tell me I was sick? This night was seriously getting weirder and weirder.

Cally nodded, "Its what Shredder wanted." Her voice was just a whisper. So that's why he wanted her, but why the crystal? She continued, her voice still hushed, "They were planning to put a tracer in me, but it was scheduled in two days."

I watched as she wiped it clean then hold it in her hand. "Just throw the cloth away," I told her. Cally threw it into the wastebasket.

"Can I?" I held out my hand toward the jewel.

She nodded and placed it in my palm.

Somehow…it looked familiar. I played with it before I turned and put it under my microscope. Strange…it appeared to be some form of crystal, yet it did not have the proper structure. In fact, it had no recognizable structure. I frowned, thinking, but soon gave up as the possibilities were easily ruled out against this orb.

I took it back in my hand and tapped it lightly with a screwdriver, hard enough to test how delicate it was but not to where it would break if it were. Why would Shredder want this? I thought. Then, as I tapped it, it made a dinking sound, just as something would if it were hallow.

"Amazing," I whispered, holding it up to the light. Despite the obvious fact that it was hollow, you could not see through it. Nothing in the books I had read or found had such a structure or properties.

"But…" I dared to ask, "how did this get inside you?"

Cally started to speak, but closed her mouth, as if she were choosing her words carefully. She paused a few seconds before speaking, "Like I said earlier, it's a long story…an old one too."

"Really?" I pricked an eyebrow ridge. What was she getting at?

Cally nodded, "D-does it seem familiar to you? The jewel I mean.

I flicked my sight from her, then back down to the jewel. "Yes…" I replied slowly, "Yes, it does." I eyed her. How would she know?

"It isn't the first time you've seen that," She murmured.

I stared at the jewel a moment longer. "What do you mean?" I inquired, looking at Cally. This was the first night we had met, yet this was getting even weirder.

Cally shook her head, "This isn't the first time we've met either."

I stared at her. This was making no sense. What was going on?

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Just a little footnote: Looked up the name Cally. It means "bright-eyed." Kinda fits in, doesn't it?