This chapter may not be as good as the previous ones, and has a considerably less serious tone. It depicts some of the misadventures (can I call them that? Or experiences, in any case) that Ren and the turtles get into, as Ren slowly becomes 'part of them'. Belonging may be almost complete, but before I dream of the end, here is Chapter 5. Once again, thank you for reading and please review. Also, thank you to Micky D12-san, the person who truly made my day when I was depressed from the lack of attention my story received, because of the encouraging words he/she wrote in the review. Arigato Gozaimasu!

It had taken 15 hours for Raph to settle the whole matter, in which 4 hours was spent on Master Splinter's lecture, and another 4 hours to explain everything that had happened until now from the very start. Then there was 1 hour for Ren to explain her origins (in rather vague terms, not wishing to relive the painful past again) and another 2 hours where Don, Mikey and Leo had asked her all sorts of questions (Mikey wanted to know how Ren had kicked Raph's butt, and on how many occasions, Don wanted to know more about her mutation, though he was careful not to overdo the questioning while Leo was both curious and suspicious of anything going on between both Raph and Ren, which they had vehemently denied). For the remaining time, 2 hours was spent being teased relentlessly by Don and Mikey (and occasionally Leo) and the remaining 2 hours, chasing after Don, Mikey (and Leo, when the leader participated).

Master Splinter had originally been rather suspicious about Ren, though after learning of her past, he had not pressed on for any more information and knew, deep down in his heart that she was not a threat to his sons or himself, being an outcast on her own as well. After the whole incident, Ren had rushed home, and the four turtles and Master Splinter had decided to call it a night and retired into their rooms. Left alone, Raph thought back about the revelation of his night escapades and felt both relief- that his secret was out and he no longer had to sneak about when leaving at night, as well as a slight tinge of disappointment- that he could no longer keep Ren for himself and now had to share her with his brothers. Then he had felt shame and anger at having almost likened Ren to an object of possession. Ren was Ren, strong, stubborn and wilful but deep down inside, kind and caring too, not some prized trophy for someone to hold on to.

It had been 5 days after Ren's encounter with his family, and she soon became part of them as if she always had been from the start, sparring with Casey, talking to April and Don, competing with Mikey in video games and meditating with both Master Splinter and Leo. But during her visits at night, Ren still reserved a period of time to sit on the roof again chatting with Raph, which eventually morphed into part of the latter's schedule and everyday life. Again, he had been relieved, having feared that in the company of the others, she would soon forget him. He had mentioned it before when they were chatting on the roofs at night.

"Hey Ren… if you like spending time with the others so much… Then why'd ya still waste part of your time with me here on the roof?"

"Cos spending time with all of you and spending time with just you is different. I like both of it a lot, but spending time with you alone is just… Special." Ren had answered him with her eyes closed in contentment. Raph did not address the situation any further, satisfied with the answer.

"It's been ages since we got to ride our rides!" Mikey whined as he settled himself on the couch.

"Rides?" Ren repeated. Leo nodded his head. "That's what we call them, at least. Our sports equipment. Mikey rides the skateboard, I ride the scooter, Donnie rides the bicycle and Raph uses roller-skates. Last time there was a blackout on the topside, we had a shell of a time riding anywhere we liked," Leo laughed.

"We don't do that anymore though, too dangerous. Besides, we had been pretty busy since then," Don added.

'Yea, busy kicking shell!" Mikey boasted. Ren let the information sink in and her brows creased slightly. "Hm," she murmured briefly. Again, she was deep in thought. "I got it!" Ren shouted suddenly, her eyes lighting up.

"Got what? That the fact that the first time you kicked my shell was by pure luck?" Raph teased. Ren glared at him, "In your dreams, Shell-for-brains. I know where you guys can ride your bikes, scooters and all that. It's an abandoned warehouse some distance away from here. I found it when I was wandering around at night last month." Ren explained at top speed, excited. Don and Raph were nodding their heads slowly as Ren elaborated more on the warehouse, while Mikey was already bouncing up and down on the couch, wanting to go to the said destination immediately. Leo, however, was frowning, weighing the chances of whether it would be fine to use the abandoned warehouse or not.

"One way to find out if going there is a good choice," The leader finally decided. He looked up and saw four pairs of eyes staring back at him, each hopeful and curious of his consent.

"Let's take a look. Now."

"Sweet…" Mikey whispered in awe as he looked at the vast space the warehouse provided. The turtles and Ren were looking into the glass windows at the top of the warehouse, which covered part of where the roof should be. It was wide and spacious, though a touch bit eerie too, Raph thought. Though, as its name suggested, it was filled with some empty crates and other broken parts of machinery.

"If it's so spacious though, why doesn't anyone use it?" Don questioned Ren.

"Cos' there are rumors of ghosts being here. Ghosts," Ren repeated in a snicker, shaking her head as if to laugh at the people who believed such ludicrous tales. Mikey gulped and stepped back from the window, starting to have second thoughts about the warehouse. Raph, seeing this, quietly snuck behind his brother.

"Boo."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mikey screamed at a high-pitched voice as he pulled out his nun-chucks and flailed them about, while the rest laughed at his reaction. It took Mikey half a minute to realize it was merely another one of Raph's antics, prompting the former to chase the latter, hurling insults all the way. Leo sighed, turning his attention away from the scuffling duo. "I'm not sure Master Splinter would allow this though…" he muttered with his arms crossed.

"He might if you actually told him what and where you would be doing and going!" The said rat scolded as he stood behind Leo, Don and Ren, a stern expression on his face. At the same moment, Mikey and Raph's chase led back to where their brothers and Ren were standing, joining in their surprise at the arrival of their father and mentor.

"Master Splinter!" The turtles chorused. "We wanted to see if the abandoned warehouse Ren mentioned would be ideal for us to exercise with our 'rides'." Leo explained. Master Splinter nodded briefly and looked around.

"Very well, since it is abandoned. But I have tasks for you to do tonight, You can come back here tomorrow night, but if you do not do them properly and seriously, I will cancel the permission I have given you!" Master Splinter commanded strictly. The turtles gulped and nodded their consent as they followed Master Splinter home. Ren trailed behind, thinking. Her eyes were slightly unfocused, and Raph frowned when he saw it; Ren had stopped her habit of spacing out nowadays. She only did it when she had too much on her mind, or when she felt lonely (usually the latter), in which, in the company of her newfound friends that were almost family, that habit had almost completely faded.

"Ren, what's wrong?" Raph asked softly in concern, hoping his brothers would not catch the care he held in his voice. She snapped back into focus.

"Nothing, just thinking. Master Splinter cares about all of you a lot doesn't he," Ren commented, her eyes softening, though there was a slight trace of envy in her tone. From what she had told Raph, the turtle in red had pretty much gathered while her adopted father cared for her, he didn't quite show it. And then there was Master Splinter, strict and stern but loving towards his sons all the same. Raph felt a sudden rush of affection towards his father and mentor, though he also tried to think of subjects that would steer Ren away from the negative topic.

"O yea, how do you suggest I keep up with you guys tomorrow? I don't own any sports equipment capable of that," Ren shook her head. Don, who had come to urge the duo to walk faster under Master Splinter's orders heard this.

"That's okay, I can lend you a ride on my bike," Don offered. Ren's eyes brightened. "Really? Thanks!" she grinned, displaying her pointed teeth, and Raph felt strange, seeing her grin in the same manner she always did to him when they were chatting on the roof, but this time towards Don. Then he had a sudden vision of Don and Ren sharing a bike, with Ren's arms wrapped around the former's torso, moving just a fraction closer at every available moment until her slim body was pressing against his shell, sharing an intimate moment…

"NO!" Raph burst out. Ren and Don stared at him. Raph furiously backpedalled. "I mean, Er, I have an extra pair of skates I can lend to her. So, er, there's no need for you to share your bike with her, Donnie,"

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Ren demanded.

"I-I didn't think of it," Raph grunted, which was actually quite true.

"Well, that's settled then," Don said, though he eyed Raph strangely for a while before the three of them raced off in Master Splinter, Leo and Mikey's direction to catch up with the crew. Raph felt a faint sense of satisfaction at having solved the problem.

Then came the current problem.

How the shell was he going to get a pair of skates for Ren?

"Hey Casey… Got a moment?" Raph mumbled nervously in the garage. It was morning, and Raph had made the excuse of checking up on his Shell Cycle with Casey today, before practically dragging the hockey-obsessed bonehead away to the garage.

"You drag me all 'da way up here for no apparent reason and now you ask me if I have a moment?" Casey screeched in a disbelieving tone.

"Well sorry about that. Thing is, I need to get something from the topside, so... Do you have any cash?" He felt low, actually borrowing money from Casey to cover up the grave he dug himself. Honestly, Raph didn't quite know how much a pair of skates were worth, but he knew it wouldn't be cheap. And it was not like Casey was particularly well-off either. He had tried asking April, but she didn't have any roller skates or any other sports equipment able to fulfill the job, having given them away to her cousin Robyn for the charity.

"What do you need to buy?" Casey asked suspiciously as he got out his wallet. Raph felt the lump in his throat growing; he would have almost felt better if Casey had refused. Casey caught sight of his friend's depressed face and felt concern.

"Hey, you didn't get in'ta any trouble with the Purple Dragon's by borrowing money from them did you?"

"SHELL NO!" Raph answered, mortified. "It's just that…" In a few minutes, Casey knew the whole tale. At first, he stared at Raph in complete and utter shock. Then he had started guffawing loudly, and it took Raph every single shred of self-control not to bash his fellow bonehead up at that point of time.

"Look, if you're gonna laugh anymore, I will-!" .

"S-sorry. Just ain't used ta seeing you act like that. But tell you what, a friend o' mine is having a big discount in sports equipment, and I just got a raise and a bonus from my boss recently-" At those words, it was Raph's turn look up at Casey suspiciously. "What? Who knew those good impression and manners stuff April told me would actually get the boss ta like me? Anyway, my friend's store is just two streets away from here, take the money and go choose a decent pair for your girlfriend. Get her something nice too."

"She's not my girl-!" Raph protested before Casey interrupted him.

"One more thing, Raph"

"What?"

"You really should learn to follow your heart,"

Then Casey was gone, leaving Raph to stare at his retreating back in confusion, both wondering about his words, and whether he should thank or punch the bonehead when he saw him again.

Clad in a long hooded coat, sunglasses and scarf, Raph looked around for the store Casey had informed him about. There was an unimpressive small store with the words "Sports Gear" printed in green block letters on top of the entrance. Hesitating slightly, Raph crossed the road and stepped into the store. It was small, that was his first impression, but it was neat. The person behind the casher was a man in his 30s, with messy black hair and slight stubble.

"How can I help you?" he asked pleasantly. Raph cleared his throat. "Casey, Casey said-"

"Ah wait, you are Casey's friend? He told me a friend of his wanted to look at a pair of skates for his girlfriend," the man asked in a cheerful tone. Had his appearance not be hid behind the scarf and long coat, Raph's mouth would have hung comically down before gritting together again in anger. But before he could deny Ren being his girlfriend, the man had disappeared behind the storage room, and Raph silently vowed to first thank the dark-haired bonehead later, then punch him. Twice. One for laughing at him, the other for teasing him. Before he could come up with any other more severe punishments, the man came back with a catalogue of skates, which he handed to Raph.

"These are popular with girls," he commented as he flipped to a certain page. Skates, ranging from bright pink and green to black and purple, were displayed across the page. Raph frowned (though it remained unnoticed beneath the red scarf he wore) and flipped the catalogue to another page. It went on like this for a while; they were either too girly or too… un-Ren-like. Then he saw it. A pair of black skates with green markings that resembled trailing wisps of fire. Ren's favorite color was green, black and orange, he recalled. This would do.

"This. Please," he added on the last words for a better measure, his voice coming out slightly muffled.

"This?" The man looked surprise, "It is unusual for girls to-"

"She's different." The retort came out before he could stop himself. Surprise crossed the man's face, then an understanding smile. He went back into the storage room and produced a pair of black and green skates, which he placed in a large box. Raph forked over the needed amount, which, luckily, was not much due to the discount the store was having, and left in a hurry, hoping that his lie (Raph preferred calling it an 'excuse') on spending time fixing the Shell Cycle would not be discovered. Then he thought about the pair of skates. He would tell Ren he had found it, surprisingly clean and new, and tell her to keep it. She would be surprised at first, then give a cautious 'really?', as if wary that his offer might be a prank. He would nod and smirk, and her face would break into a smile, completely different from its earlier mask of alertness, the same trademark grin she always showed when she was happy, with her strange (he had started finding it normal now; Ren was Ren with it) slightly pointed teeth/fangs in full view…

"WOAH!" Raph stumbled into a table. What was a table doing in the middle of the street? Raph cursed under his breath.

"Watch it, Youngster!" A voice called out, which unmistakably belonged to an old lady. A street vendor, Raph realised. The table was covered with small trinkets and charms. Raph mumbled a brief apology as he edged away slowly, careful not to wreak anymore havoc. Then he saw a pair of miniature sais on the corner of the table. Despite the voice nagging at him to hurry home before anyone found out he was missing, Raph clumsily picked them up, and realised they were attached to a chain bracelet. The old lady saw him eyeing it.

"From Japan. Came in a pair. Weird sort of trinket," she grunted, handing him the second bracelet. Raph examined both of it for a while. It was intricately crafted, and resembled a real sai to an almost unrealistic degree; whoever made it must have been extremely skilled in metal crafting.

"Hey Youngster, done looking? If you want it, I'll give you a cheap price, not many Americans wants stuff like this," The old lady muttered.

"Get her something nice too." Casey's annoying voice echoed in Raph's head. Nodding briefly, he extracted the exact amount and gave it wordlessly to the old lady, who wrapped up the two bracelets, each with a pair of miniature sai charms attached to it, and passed the two small deftly-wrapped packages to the turtle. The old lady had a thoughtful look on her face now, before she looked around furtively and gestured for Raph to bend down to her height.

"Y'know, there was a legend that came with 'em. It was crafted by a master blacksmith in Japan, who said that two close people who wear the two chain bracelets, will possess a linked heart. But first, they must have forged a strong bond, just like the steel used to craft the two pair of charms. It's special. Really special. Take care of it, Boy."

Next Chapter: The turtles, Ren, Master Splinter, Casey and April have fun, but trouble soon arises when the mob, who have decided to use the warehouse for illegal activities, arrives, and havoc soon breaks. As a fierce fight ensues, one of the eight gets injured, an injury that he/she may never recover from...