Though life always treats her in the same ugly way,

She sings and she dances Tojours Gai! Tojours Gai!

Shinbone Alley

"Enna!" Jonathan gasped, he looked at the Otter Child, she had changed out of her Autumn Jester outfit and was now wearing her plain white nightgown...Given her anger at learning what Scarecrow's plans for her...She probobly no longer wanted to be in what she realized was a Supervillain costume...

"How...How did I get here?" Jonathan was extremly worried about what had happened while he was in the mind trap.

"The Turtles took us back..." Enna said quietly "...I had to tell them where the house was."

"You did." Jonathan said so the location of his secret santuary had been revealed, but this might not be a disaster, as he realized he didn't know anything about these Turtles other than they seemed interested in protecting fellow freaks. "What happened then?"

"I asked them to promise not to tell anyone this was your house." Enna said as she casually stretched "I told them this is where you keep your book collection." The Turtle with the purple mask Donatello said something about how it seemed you actually cared about things like literature unlike one of their old enemies they called The Shredder who had collections of artwork just to 'keep up appearances'

"I...See..." Jonathan said as it did seem these Turtles were also superheroes, and he found himself wondering who this 'Shredder' was and why he had never heard of him.

"So they took us in this truck they called 'The Battle Shell' Enna said as she walked to the other side of the other living room, Jonathan could tell from her body language though she was trying to play it cool, she still didn't want to look at him right now.

"The Turtles said if I ever changed my mind I could come and live with them...They told me they live in the sewers...The place where the things you flush go...So I told them...I'd rather live in this big beautiful house...I had lived in a place where I almost never saw the sun or the rest of the outside for most of my life, going into the sewers would be like going back there."

Jonathan knew that the reason she gave was just a pretense...He knew she didn't go with them, was because she still cared about him, despite realizing the real reason he took her in was to use her for his villainous schemes, Because if it was really just about the house, she could have easily left him to rot and taken the house for herself, using her mind trap on him if he attempted to re-enter.

But why? Why did she still care about him? Now with the knowladge of that memory mind trap she had subjected him to, Jonathan felt for sure she would see him as no better than those scientists who harmed her.

Then he saw her sit down and open something, it was a picnic basket, she pulled something out of it...A purple lollipop she unwrapped it and began causually licking it.

"Where did that come from?" Jonathan asked because he knew when he went grocery shopping earlier today he had only gotten more practical things to nourish a growing body, he hadn't gotten any 'frivolous' items.

"The Turtles gave it to me." Enna said "They asked if I knew how to cook, I told them no, so they gave me this basket full of food, I took the stuff that needed to be kept cool and put it in the fridge."

'They even gave you a goodie bag even though they know you're choosing to stay with a Supervillain...' Jonathan thought with amazment '...These Turtles have the patience of saints.' He couldn't imagine Batman being so respectful of a child's choice Batman would probably drag the child kicking and screaming 'for their own good' and while he didn't know where Batman would take such a child would wanted to stay with a Supervillain, probably a children's hospital where they would be cared for but also restrained until they were convinced the child no longer wanted to pursue a life of crime...But Jonathan had a feeling these Turtles seemed to be banking that Enna will come around eventually and they wanted her to come around on her own, that while they did fight crime, they had different priorities than the likes of Batman and that as freaks of nature they believed freaks had to look out for one another similar to those Circus freaks that briefly took in Killer Croc, before Croc betrayed them.

Upon further thinking about what he experienced in that mind trap, truly seeing how the Mutants were treated in that Lab, and reflecting on his own experiences as a child, how his family had not wanted him, and how he was bullied at school, all that drove his obsession with fear, believing it to be the only real thing in the universe...But Enna...She was a scathing indictment to his nihilism, she had been treated far worse than any human...Save for possibly Lyle Bolton...Had treated him, and yet she did not lose her compassion, her hope that there was some good even in the species that had tormented her...She could still see beauty in the world despite everything...And Jonathan's heart just broke upon that realazation...His shame upon realizing he wasn't really any better than those Scientist's who cut her arms and legs, like them he had seen her only as a tool, a means to his ends...And despite everything, she still loved him for some reason! It was too much!

"Enna..." Jonathan said quietly "...Come here."

Enna wasn't done with her lollipop but she realized Jonathan wanted to say something important, so she put the wrapper back on the candy and set it on an end table, she went over to Jonathan.

"I know what you said was your reason was just a pretense." Jonathan said "Why did you really save me?"

"Cuz I know even though what the Turtles said was true...It wasn't the complete truth...I know you really cared for me, even if you didn't think you did...Does that make sense?"

"It does make sense." Jonathan said "You are truly wise for your age."

And Jonathan did something he never thought he would do before, he picked up the Otter Child, and held her close, tears streaming down his face

"I'm sorry Enna!" He sobbed "I truly am! I'm really no better than those scientists who hurt you! You are clearly meant for better things than to be the pet of a ghoul like me! That's why I have to let you go...To live with those Turtles, forget whatever I said before, they clearly are honorable men...The fact they provided you with that much food must mean they have some means of supporting themselves! Just as in the wild young animals must learn from their elders how to survive in the wilderness you need creatures similar to yourself who have learned how to live under the nose of humanity if you are to survive! I did a little reserch on that television show you spoke so fondly of, Summer Land...And I saw it was more than the fact it took place in yur natural habitat that drew you to it, it was about a family and their trials and tribulations with their friends and neighbors, and that's why you and your siblings were so fasniated with television and other human media isn't it? It was your only window to see what normal human life was like...I am giving you a chance to have something close to that normal human life...I'm giving you a chance at a family..."

Enna felt her own tears soaking the fur on her cheeks, she knew everything the Professor said was true "Can I just stay with you one last night?" She squeaked

And Jonathan sighed and smiled "Yes," he said "One last night."

Don't worry, it's not over yet...Just when you think it's gonna be a sappy Happily Ever After, there's gonna be a curveball in the next chapter!