I really should be writing the next chapter of Rosie: Homeland or The Wooden Locket, but I'm on one heck of a TMNT kick. NCIS will have to wait. It will be there when I need a crime-fighting fix!

It had been a week sense Roxanne had come to stay with them. Mikey was finally fully recovered, and Roxanne was well on her way. She still hunched over badly, and her back cramps were just as frequent as ever, but in between times she was happy. Proper nutrition and rest had done her wonders. Gone was the gaunt look and the shaking limbs; her porcelain skin had a healthy flush, her dark auburn hair had gained a bit of a wave, and her emerald eyes were bright and sparkling.

"Look, Roxy!" Michaelangelo hollered. A tinkling laugh let him know she was watching. He continued doing stunts on his skateboard on his home-made half pike for her amusement. Mikey really enjoyed having Roxanne in the lair. She spent time with each of the brothers, but she spent a lot of time with him.

The day before Leo had shown Mike Roxanne's paper she had written her and Leo's conversation on. Mike had been sickened and saddened to know the fate of little Samuel, and creeped out by the fact that he shared eye colors with Roxanne's son. But this also brought him closer to her. She liked to coddle him, kiss his forehead and hug him, even going so far as to sooth his nightmares and tuck him back in the previous night. Mike enjoyed the attention, and took every opportunity to cuddle with her.

Raphael leaned on the doorway, watching them both. Mike had moved on to adding acrobatics to his routine, and Roxanne perched on the back of the couch watching intently. Raph knew of her protective streak (it was just as wide as Leo's), and he knew she was watching to make sure Mike didn't hurt himself. Raph had personal experience with that protective streak. Two nights after the rescue, he had come stumbling in after a fight. He had gone top-side for some time alone, but had run into a very large posse of Purple Dragons. Mikey's and Roxanne's ordeal still fresh in his mind he had leapt into a fight. He had won, but gotten beaten pretty badly. She had been waiting up with Leo, but Leo had fallen asleep on the couch by the time Raph got home. She had jumped to her feet, stumbled from a cramp, and then proceeded to fuss over him. He had tried to bat her away, but she had somehow managed to push him into a chair and get the first aid kit before he could properly grouch at her. Ever since she had waited up for him with Leo, always insistently checking for injuries.

He smirked rather evilly when Mikey grew tired of his current activity and went for his video games. "Roxanne! Catch!" he hollered as he snatched the controller away and lobbed it to her.

Donatello smiled as he heard her laughter at Mike's mock indignant protests. He really liked Roxanne, or Roxy as only Mikey got away with calling her. He was glad her health was improving, but he still worried about her back. The ridges and the bump had started to grow, and her cramps seemed to increase.

Leo and Roxanne seemed close, Don had noted. Just as close as Mike and Roxy, but different. He left the "different" alone to be thought about later. It brought up awkward questions. He liked to spend time with her as well; she was an intelligent companion. It was really a shame she never finished school- she had a very quick and sharp mind. He enjoyed conversing with her. He also admired how she spent time with each brother. She kept Mike busy, she sat and watched Don work, meditated with Leo, and even spent a lot of loafing time with Raph. She liked to fuss over them all, including Master Splinter.

Leo leaned on the doorway of the dojo, watching Roxanne scamper like a monkey around the living area, playing a friendly game of keep away with Mikey and Raph. She still couldn't stand up straight, and that worried him. She had adapted, however, and could move quite fast. He couldn't help but smile as she turned lightning quick to dodge Mike and tossed his favorite controller over his head to Raph.

Leo loved spending time with her. She had so much tragedy and hardships in her life, and yet she could still bring smiles to his and his family's faces. She made him laugh and smile, sometimes without even writing a word. He loved learning about her religion, and enjoyed the time she spent meditating with him- even if she did it a little differently. She made his heart pound when she hugged him, and as she was just as touchy-feely as Mike, that was quite a lot.

Suddenly a scream split the air. "Leo! Donnie!" came Mikey's panicked scream. He and Raph crouched by the fallen Roxanne, not knowing what to do as she continued to scream in pain.

"What happened?" Leo demanded, rushing over and pulling the girl into his lap. She whimpered and moaned, still letting out a few screams. Tears streamed down her face, and her jaw was clenched tight enough to cramp.

"She just stopped suddenly and fell to the ground! I don't know what went wrong! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" Mikey continued to babble the word sorry and Leo and Don ignored him in favor of helping the now sobbing woman.

"It's must be her back…" Donatello muttered to himself. "I need to get at her back, Leo." Leo nodded and carefully lifted her so she was sitting upright in his lap facing him. She hugged him tightly around the neck, whimpering constantly into his shoulder. He kept her there by holding the backs of her shoulders – but he did not dare touch her back. Don got out a pocket knife and cut away the back of her shirt, not wanting to deal with having her shrug it off.

Mike swallowed hard, turned, and ran for Master Splinter; practically sobbing himself. Raph's diaphragm heaved has he swallowed back bile before he turned away, muttering curses. Don himself flinched and recoiled violently, gasping as if someone had punched him in the gut. Leo looked down over her shoulder and stared, horrified. The ridges and the bump were writhing.