Wait! Before you read, I'd like to thank the people who have read this story all the way to the end, mostly for their patience with me. So... thank you very much! :D

This is the final chapter, the epilogue follows soon after. Please enjoy! ^^


Naomi was hospitalized for three months before she finally got to go home… only to be bedridden for another few weeks. It was completely against her nature to sit still.

The doctors had not been able to save her right foot. The deep cut around her ankle had damaged the nerve endings, leaving her entire foot numb. She would have to walk with a crutch for the rest of her life.

As the Turtles came to visit her almost every day, they didn't bother to disguise themselves anymore. Harry was just a little shocked to find out they called themselves the Ninja Turtles for a good reason, but he didn't think any more or less of them. What had shocked him more, was the fact that the Turtles had known Naomi since she was only 9 years old.

Donatello was taking his role as big brother very seriously, to everyone's frustration.

"Come on, let me carry you," he insisted, reaching his arms out to her.

"I can do it," said Naomi. "I've got three perfectly healthy limbs to use to climb down. Go on ahead."

Hesitantly, Donatello went down the manhole, his eyes never leaving Naomi and her struggle with her crutches. "A-are you sure?" he asked again. "I could help you…" And with that, he had earned a poke on the head with one of the crutches.

"Just carry these and leave the rest to me," sighed Naomi. She sat on the edge of the manhole and reached the crutches out to him. Donatello took them, but stayed where he was.

"O-ok, just be very careful," he said nervously. "I'll be right here to catch you if you—"

A slap on the back of his head from Raphael interrupted another one of his good intentions.

"Thank you," said Naomi dryly.

"Sure thing," said Raphael just as dryly before he whispered: "Will you stop helping her all the time? Let'r do her thing."

They watched as Naomi slowly climbed down, her right leg pointed more backwards. Every step she took with only her left leg, Donatello stood ready to catch her.

"She's doin' fine," whispered Raphael, laying a hand on Donatello's shoulder.

The final step came as a relief for Donatello. He took a step backward to give her some more space. However, when she almost fell backwards when she landed on the floor with her good leg, he shot towards her and caught her shoulders.

"Argh, Donatello!" grunted Naomi in frustration. "I'm fine! Please, just stop treating me like I'm disabled!"

"Sorry," said Donatello softly. He let go of her.

Naomi sighed. "It's ok," she said. "You're just trying to help." She took her crutches and followed the four Turtles to the Lair.

"You're gonna love Master Splinter," said Michelangelo with a wide smirk. "He may seem a little rough on the outside, but he's really a cool dude."

"A cool dude?" repeated Naomi. "Your Sensei is a cool dude?"

"He's the best," said Michelangelo.

"And he's a… a rat, right?" asked Naomi, a bit of anxiety in her voice at the word "rat".

Leonardo laughed. "He may have mutated into a rat, but he's still as humane as when he was… well… human," he reassured her. "He's very wise. But be sure to show him respect."

"Why? She didn't show any respect when she was a brat," noted Raphael. "And still he liked her."

"Funny," remarked Naomi sarcastically. "From what I've heard, you couldn't stand up to frail little me when I stayed at your place and I could fool you with ease."

"Who told you that nonsense?" asked Raphael, shooting a look at her. But Naomi didn't answer, just kept walking with a big mean smirk on her face.

"Ha! You're bluffin'!" laughed Raphael.

"Well I don't know if it's true or not, since I can't remember," said Naomi calmly before aiming her evil smirk at Raphael. "But I assume your memory isn't so bad that you can't remember by yourself. "

Raphael gritted his teeth. The two shared deadly looks until a soft, but firm "ahem" caught their attention. The source came from inside the Lair. Reluctantly, Naomi did let Donatello help her in because the step was so high that she simply could not have made it by herself.

"Great first impression," she mumbled, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Now he'll probably think I'm a…"

"Brave, strong and independent young woman," finished Splinter her sentence, slowly stepping out of the shadow towards the Turtles and the teenager. "Given time to adjust to her situation," he added.

Naomi stared at the Rat and swallowed. "Are…" Her voice sounding hoarse, she coughed. "Are you…" She swallowed again. How come her mouth was suddenly so dry?

"Do not be frightened, my child," said Splinter in a calm tone. "I know what I look like."

"N-no, I'm not scared," stuttered Naomi. "I was prepared for this… I mean you… I mean…"

"It is alright, Naomi," said Splinter with a soothing smile.

Naomi let out a shaky sigh. "I was just nervous to meet you," she said, forcing a smile. "I've been in your care for a while when I was a kid. Thank you for that." She finished with an awkward bow.

Splinter couldn't help but chuckle at her effort. I guess there is a reason why Americans don't bow, he mused.

"It is me who should be thanking you," he responded. "Being the first human my sons had ever had contact with, you helped them over their anxiety towards human beings."

Naomi looked at Donatello, who sent her a reassuring smile.

"They're heroes," she said. "I owe them my life."

"I keep tellin' ya, you don't owe us nothin'!" protested Raphael.

Splinter smiled. "It seems that you are on better terms with Naomi than you used to be, Raphael," he said. Both Raphael and Naomi looked at him.

"We… didn't get along back then?" asked Naomi.

"Didn't get along?" laughed Michelangelo. "Sis, if looks could kill…!"

The six of them had a lot of catching up to do. They spent hours on chatting about their time together back then, just like they did when the Turtles had visited Naomi's house more than half a year ago.

After a few hours of constant enthusiastic chattering, it became quieter.

"Splinter?" asked Naomi a bit hesitantly.

"Yes, my child?" was his calm response.

"Do you… I mean… Do you think you can… restore my memories?" asked Naomi, her face slightly flushed.

The Rat sighed softly, as though he had already expected that question. He stood up and went to stand beside the teenager. Naomi could not suppress a flinching movement when he laid a furry hand on her head. For several seconds – maybe even minutes – he stood perfectly still with his eyes closed. When he finally withdrew his hand, and opened his eyes, Naomi could see a mixture of pain and sadness in his eyes.

"You have been through so much at your age," he said softly. "So many bad memories. So many negative feelings and thoughts. It saddens me to learn that a child has had to witness so much cruelness in her still short life." He looked straight into her eyes, the Turtles watching them. "I cannot bring back the memories you have made here. I had not erased your memories entirely, just locked them away. But over the years, you have led a completely different life and could not even imagine anything like us. You had stopped believing in us, and therefore the remains of these memories have slowly disappeared. I am afraid… it is too late now."

Donatello could see the disappointment in Naomi's eyes. And if he had to be honest, he was pretty much disappointed himself. Memories of nine-year-old Naomi spun around his mind for a brief moment.

"Naomi," continued Splinter. "I am sorry. I had erased your memories of us for the sake of all of us. I had hoped that if you had no relation to us, you would stay out of danger. I should have known that your deep bond with Donatello would remain in your heart. It is something not even I could possibly erase. What I regret the most, is that you have been in danger, even though this foe was unfamiliar to all of us, and had no relation to your knowing about us. You have gained even more bad memories now, memories of something that we were unable to prevent."

He paused. Donatello got an oppressed feeling in the chest as he saw a tear slide down his former master's cheek.

"I am sorry."