"I'll go see what's up." Mikey said, dashing after her.

"Well, She seems...weird." April said. Leo gave her a disapproving look. "April, with what she's going through I think she has the right to act a bit strange. Besides, I've talked to her and she's actually pretty cool." April sighed. "Leo, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm a little stressed out. These signals are coming in stronger then ever and I have this huge school project that I need to get done in two days that I haven't even started yet because It's really hard to focus." Leo put a hand on April's shoulder. "Don't worry, April. We'll help you." She smiled at him. "Thanks Leo."

"So, April. Do you want to come check out some new things I've been working on in the lab?" Donnie said, stepping in between the two. "Yeah, sure, of course." She said, looking up at him. He walked her off and Leo watched them leave. For a brief moment he considered checking in on Mikey and Grace, but forgot all about that once the TV announced a new episode of Space Heroes coming on.

"Grace...?" Mikey asked, coming into the dojo. Nobody was in there. He started to turn away when he heard a faint sniffle. He looked again. Maybe she was behind the large tree? He thought, heading across the room to the other side. She wasn't there. He didn't consider looking up and wasn't going to until a small twig fell upon his head from the branches above. He looked up, spotting Grace's figure among the branches. He grabbed a limb and hoisted himself onto it, repeating this process and pulling himself up until he found himself at the same branch as Gracie at the very top of the tree. Her eyes looked like cloud, dark and brooding, as she stared off into the distance. Mikey waited for her to be ready to talk.

She sighed finally, her eyes moving to him. He was playing with a branch boredly. He looked at her at her sound, dropping the limb and sitting up. "What's up?" He asked her, scooting closer to her on the branch. She leaned up against the tree trunk, laying her head back against it.

"I don't know why I acted like that." She said. "I'm sorry." Mikey smiled at her. "That's okay, Grace! We all act weird sometimes!" He rolled his eyes. "Me, especially...Heck, I'm weird all the time. I guess that kind of makes it so the only time I'm acting weird, is when I'm not acting weird. So that would make it so that even when I'm not acting weird, I'm acting weird..." He took a moment to think. "I just confused myself." He said. "Anyways, I guess I proved my point." Gracie laughed at him.

"I think you did too, you weirdo." She threw a loose piece of bark at him. It hit him in the nose. "Hey!" He whined, throwing one back at her. She retaliated, causing a brawl between the two. They continued stripping the tree, chucking wood at each other. Gracie could not stop laughing, for once acting like her old self, the way her and Alex would play. Finally, she lost her balance and slipped off the branch, emitting a small shriek. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact. Nothing happened. She looked up to see she was hanging from where Mikey was sitting on the branch, holding onto her ankle. Her head was less than an inch from another branch. He laughed at the expression on her face, and she laughed back. She felt like an idiot, suspended in the air and her lungs about to burst from laughter. "Let me up! Let me up!" She gasped through her laughter. Her head was starting to feel dizzy. Mikey pulled her up and sat her upright on the branch. They looked at each other and burst out laughing again. "What's. So. Funny?" Gracie managed to ask. "I honestly. Don't. Know." Mikey replied. They both took deep breaths, trying to make themselves stop. Finally the laughter died down. Gracie sighed happily.

"I haven't laughed like that in a long time." She said. Looking at her two green toes. She noticed that her feet had the same amount on phalanges as the boys, but her hands had an extra finger, like Splinter. There was silence.

"You know." She started, becoming serious again. "With your friend... I guess I acted that way because I was scared." Mikey gave her a shocked look. "Scared? Of April? Why?" She shrugged. "I don't know. I thought... I thought she was going to be scared of me." Mikey looked at her again. "You were scared of her because you thought she would be scared of you?" Gracie held up a hand. "I know. What I mean is, she's normal." She fiddled with a branch. "I'm sure you know about what I said that night in Leo's room, It seems like miraculously everybody knows." Mikey nodded. "So, like I said, I never really had any friends. With you guys, it just seems like you became my friends because I was like you, you can't exactly turn me down." He nodded again. "But with her, I'm just a freak. I'm not like her in any way. And I thought that she wouldn't like me, because no one ever has." Gracie took a deep breath. "So... that's what I was afraid of. I didn't want to be rejected again, especially in front of you guys."

Mikey stared at her. Finally, he scooted closer to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Gracie, April's not like that. She would never reject you. I mean, she hangs out with us, and she met us before she was ever involved with any of this mutant mumbo-jumbo. If she was really the kind of person you're thinking of, we probably would have been in some zoo or something right now. Besides, you're a girl, she'll probably like you better than us once she gets to know you." Gracie smiled. "You think so?" Mikey smiled back. "Definitely. So, you want to go see her now and try again?"

Gracie laughed. "Not really." Mikey laughed with her. "Okay then, that's understandable." They looked around them silently for a while, consumed in their own thoughts.

"You must be a pretty good climber." Mikey said to Gracie. She shrugged. "I guess. I usually climb trees with my friend Alex." She tried not to think too hard of Alex. "Oh, yeah? You got any special climbing places?" Mikey asked. Gracie flinched internally. "Um, yeah. We have this one group of trees we like to hang out in a lot." She thought back to that night with Alex. Of all the nights they had together. She desperately tried to focus on Mikey, blocking out other thoughts. "You should take me to it sometime." He said. Gracie shrugged, saying nothing more.

Donnie enjoyed spending time with April, that way he could get his mind off of Gracie. When April and Gracie were in the same room, it was like his mind was conflicting with itself, but with just April he can focus on her and be happy feeling the same crush he's had since he met her.

"So, what's the story behind the new turtle?" April asked, picking up a small chip meant for placing behind the ear as a way to communicate and track the location of whoever wears it. "Her name's Gracie." Don said. "Gracie Hamilton." April looked up at Don, who was watching her inspection of the device. "You mean the one on TV? She's like one of the hottest stories in New York!" Don nodded. April put down the chip. "So this is where she went! Well, I can honestly say I didn't think this was where she would end up!"

"Me neither." Don said. April laughed. "So how'd it happen?" Don gestured to the two canisters of mutagen he had in his possession. "She ran into the kraang while they were making a mutagen shipment or something. She broke open one of their canisters and fell in it." April nodded. "But why a turtle?" She asked. "She had a baby turtle in her pocket when it happened, their DNA fused together." He replied.

"Oh. That makes sense." April said. "But what I want to know, is why the kraang would let her go. I mean, they're working with the Shredder now. Someone from the Foot must've been there. And wouldn't they take her? Why would they let another mutant go?" Don paused. He looked at April. "I didn't think of that." He said. "Well, what do you think?" April asked.

"I don't know April. I don't know. Let's just hope they don't realize their mistake."

The night of Gracie's mutation:

"Did you get the new shipment?" Shredder asked. Rahzar nodded. "Yes, Master."

"Was there any complications?" The Shredder inquired. Rahzar fidgeted, looking at his feet. "There was...a minor problem-"

"What?! What was it?!" Shredder boomed. Rahzar flinched. "There was... a girl."

"A girl?"

"Yes. But I took care of it." The Shredder leaned forward in his seat, glaring at the huge dog. "How?" He growled. Rahzar looked at him sheepishly, cowering in his intense stare. "She fell into the mutagen. It probably took care of her."

"You mean you don't know?" The Shredder rumbled. "I'm sure it did it's job, Master. Surely there is no need to worry." Rahzar said timidly. "So I was correct?" Shredder asked, determined to get his point through. "Y-yes." Rahzar looked down, cowering before his leader.

"Let me get this straight." Thundered the Shredder. "You're telling me, that a girl fell into the mutagen, and you left her without checking to see the results?" Rahzar nodded, practically trembling. "And there is a chance you have created another mutant, and you have no clue if or where it has gone." Rahzar gulped. "Y-yes, Master."

"Hmmm." The Shredder considered to himself. "And what if this new mutant got in the hands of the turtles?" He stared down at Bradford, who looked up at him meekly. "I don't know, Master."

"That would mean you just created a creature that is is now going to trained by the turtles and is going to be another pest to deal with." Shredder thundered. "Now, we don't want that, do we?" He asked menacingly. "No, sir." Rahzar said. "Correct." Shredder growled. "Now. Take the foot and find that girl. Bring her to me unharmed."

"Yes, Master." Rahzar ran off, exiting the room.

Present day:

"Why haven't we found her yet?" Rahzar bellowed at the Foot soldiers. "Get moving! Shredder has commanded no rest until she is found!" The soldiers scattered in all directions. "What is taking so long?" Rahzar asked Fishface, who stood beside him. "Have you tried looking where it happened?" Fishface suggested. Rahzar scowled at him. "Of course I did! Do you think I'm an idiot?" Fishface shrugged. "Most of the time." Rahzar growled at him.

"Fine. I'll check again, but only to prove you wrong." Rahzar ran off to the location she was last seen.

Again, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The road was completely clear. Suddenly a Foot bot signalled him over to the alley that led off of the road. He sprinted over. There was a pile of rags that looked similar to clothing. He tried to think back to what the girl was wearing that night. He hadn't paid much attention, but he remembered she was wearing dark clothing. She picked up a scrap from the pile. It was a drak gray, soft material. Along with that was a dark blue denim material. It was definitely possible that it could have been and outfit that the girl was wearing. To the side of the pile he did notice some shoes, slip-on sneaker knock-offs. The foot bot picked up an object that was laying on the ground. It was a cover to the entrance of the sewers. Rahzar looked to the end of the alley. Sure enough, there was a hole leading into the sewers.

He looked at the group of Foot around him. He pointed to the hole. "Search the sewers." He commanded.

Hey Readers! I got another chapter, I know it's shorter then others, but at least i got it out! And it hopefully didn't take me forever, like usual! I've been trying hard, readers! I meant to add the part with the Shredder a while ago, but kept forgetting... sorry! Don't worry, I've mentaly face-palmed myself like a million times for that! Thanks so much for everyone supporting me and my story! I would like to say sorry to anyone who is also reading my other story, as I kind of gave up on that one. I know it's been like three months and I really am sorry. I might even try to come out with the tenth chapter of that one! I just thought that I wasn't doing so well on it, but I think I can make it better (and definitley give it longer chapters!) But that is still a maybe, so don't get your hopes up too high. I just want to let you know that I will finish that story at some point. And yes, I say this a lot now, but I'm sorry that work is slow and be patient my faithful readers! Please don't give up on me and I won't give up on you! Thank you all so much, I am done with writing for today so goodbye and please review, I will respond!

If you take the time to read these notes, go get yourself a snack! If you don't have a snack, just know that I wish you did!