Meanwhile, on the streets, traffic seemed to ease as the day shift came to an end and Luna took charge of the night. It was a good night for one more attempt at finding food, and the mountain puppy already had her target in sight.

"Arh!" she sniffed the buttery scent that led her to a vacant food cart near the edge of the sidewalk. Barking happily at the sight of a cinnamon-coated large pretzel with her name written all over it.

"Aloof!...Aloof!" Knowing it was too high for her to reach, she placed her two front paws on it and pushed. Thankfully, this made the treat inch closer to falling into her saliva-filled mouth, so she continued to repeat this action.

Unfortunately, her efforts would be in vain when suddenly a seagull swooped down and snatched it with its waddling talons. It landed a few meters away to feast on its supper, and the puppy growled and tried to attack.

One moment, as she was avoiding the bird's beak from taking one of her eyes, she stepped on shattered pieces of glass before tumbling down into a pothole.

She whimpered when the pain started on her paw. Licking it wouldn't ease the unpleasant feeling. The seagull squeaked, mocking her misery before leaving with her formal dinner in its beak.

"So... you're not pregnant?"

"Yes! Donnie, for the last time, geez," Kim said to her flip phone, getting a little annoyed at the brainy turtle's awareness of her mistaken pregnancy.

"Ok... ok, just want to make sure because I don't want any nieces or nephews yet from you and Leo."

"What? We're not dating!... nevermind." The water monitor closed her phone as the conversation was going nowhere and continued her walk down the sidewalk.

"It sucks being a teenage girl where everyone thinks I am pregnant for hanging out with boys. Even if I were, my abuelo would kill me." She chuckled remembering that one time she had "the talk" with her grandfather who basically gave her his lecture on it in graphic detail. He even showed a video of how everything happened and boy she couldn't sleep that entire night.

"Abuelo..oh what that?" She was coming up to an intersection when she heard a strange sound that seemed close.

"Is that..no no Kimberly. It's just your mind playing tricks on you. There can't be puppies out here at this time." She thought her mind was playing tricks on her that her one true desire was in the same area as her, knowing very well it could be a raccoon.

But the sound kept going and sounded more familiar to a dog as she came closer to a pothole.

"It's a raccoon..it's a raccoon…arg! That can't be a raccoon because they don't whimper like that." She opened her green emerald eyes then gasped in shock when her eyes laid upon a black brown and white fur puppy in a pothole in the sidewalk.

"Dios mio!..i-it's a dog! But how the heck did it get in this pothole?" Having many questions on the origin of the puppy she had to ask later, as she tried to get the poor thing out.

"Hey there boy..or girl do you need help out?" She cooed, going on her knees near the edge with her arms stretched out. She frowned when the puppy backed away from her before letting out a painful yelp.

She's scared and has a hurt paw..mhmm I need a better move..think..think." She pondered for a second then snapped her fingers when an idea came to her mind.

"You want some jerky?...deliciosos beef jerky." She waved the dried meat in the air so that the puppy's nose could smell it.

"Yeah, that's it..come get the jerky." She smiled, knowing that her plan was working as the puppy came closer to the meat in her hand, although she hated how it was limping in the process. Finally, the water monitor gently picked her up in her arms after letting the animal bite the jerky.

"Aww..she is so cute." She gently stroked the messy yet soft coat of the puppy, which helped calm her trembling. She then looked at the hideous wound on the bottom paw with blood leaking from it.

"Look like you need some help. Don't worry, I can fix it."

Meanwhile, underground lies the quadruplet turtle brothers committing to their normal evening activities. The orange turtle is playing his video games in the living room, Donnie is tinkering away in his room, while their biggest brother, Raphael, has already gone to bed.

"Alright Leo, what should I read tonight?" The leader in blue pondered as he looked through his neatly organized pile of comics.

"Hmm... maybe 'Thomb and The Lost Boyz'?... nah. 'Kingdom of Assassins'?... nope. 'Captain Legoshi and Friends', perfect!" He picked up the comic and then sat in his comfy recliner chair in the living room. He had a glass cup, his green smoothie, and a nice plate of oatmeal cookies. Perfect for a reading, he would say.

"Ahhh... I love this part of the day," he said, which is true as this is the only time he gets peace without him breaking up fights between his knucklehead brothers, leadership duties, and overall issues in the lair he has to deal with.

Now, turning to the next page to get a better image of his favorite hero fighting the antagonist, he saw his lizard friend coming from the gates and hopped on his feet to greet her.

"Yo Kim, great to see you back in training."

"Hey Leo... I don't think I can do training today, I got a uh... situation," she said, which confused the turtle for a second when he looked down to her cradling a puppy.

"Whoa!... When did you get a puppy?"

"It's a long story, but right now she's hurt and needs help,"She said. He followed the water monitor to the couch where she had laid the animal. She whimpered upon seeing the orange and blue turtles crowding over her, as if she thought they were green monsters trying to eat her.

"Easy girl, these are friends of mine. They won't hurt you, right guys?"

"Of course, little dude, I love doggies!" Mikey said goofily, while Leo rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Kim examined the puppy's paw with a magnifying glass, revealing a few pieces of glass sticking out.

"Mhmmm..there are a few pieces of glass cutting into her metacarpal and digital pads, so I must remove them with tweezers." She pulled out a pair from her backpack and was about to start when the pooch whined in protest.

"Aw come little dude, Kim is only trying to help you."

"She is just a baby, Mikey, she doesn't understand that yet." She gave the animal a few gentle strokes on her head that calmed her down a bit.

"It's okay, girl... it's going to hurt a little, then you'll feel much better." She offered Leo to pet her to distract her while she removed the debris from the puppy's paw, then washed it out with soap and water. Luckily, it worked with minimal whining.

"Good girl! Now let's dress the wound with an antibiotic ointment, then bandage it." She brought out a small container of salve, then applied it to the puppy's paw and wrapped it neatly with a white bandage around the area.

"There... how does that feel now?" The puppy looked at her well-patched paw, now knowing it hurt less and she could put her weight on it again. Kim grinned when she let out a few happy barks, then giggled when she licked her cheek as a way of showing gratitude.

"Aww, de nada, Banda."

"Banda?... you named her?" Leo asked as she nodded.

"I like the name Banda as her fur coat is a beautiful black and white pattern like a panda bear, and I got a cute nickname for it." Kim looked through her backpack again for a notebook and a few other items from the medical kit she got earlier.

"Since she has been in the elements for days, am I going to give her a quick check-up, so nurse Mikey would do me a favor?"

"Sure, what do you want me to do, Dr. Kim?" Mikey asked in a girly voice as she handed him a note-like list.

"I want you to make a few bottles of doggy formula made with this recipe. It's a way to simulate her mother's milk."

"Oooh, okay." As instructed, he headed to the kitchen to begin making Banda's dinner. During this time, the water monitor shines a light above the puppy's light blue eyes, then opens her mouth to check there also.

"Mhmm...good dilation, oral cavity is moist and smells like a normal dog." She wrote down a few notes in her notebook as Leo noticed, then grabbed the otoscope.

"Mhmm...no signs of ear infections like media, externa, or even internet."

"How can you tell, Kimberly?" Leo asked, curious about how she knew these big words he didn't understand.

"Usually, when mammals such as dogs and cats have an ear infection, their eardrums or ear canals would have a red swelling membrane where the infection takes place. Think of it as spreading tomato sauce on pizza dough."

"Ohhh...eww." Kim giggled at his grossed out expression before placing two fingers under Banda's front legs.

"Mhmm... her pulse seems to be normal, but I'll listen to make sure." Kim took off her stethoscope from around her neck, then placed it in her ears before pressing the diaphragm against the dog's furry chest. She smiled when she heard the steady rhythm of a beating heart, but suddenly Banda's heartbeat was muffled, which alarmed her for a brief second. Then she realized it was Banda's stomach growling.

"Poor thing." Kim moved the stethoscope away for a moment, and nothing seemed to be abnormal with Banda's stomach, except for her hunger.

"Wow! Her heartbeat sounds healthy. And her lungs too but she definitely needs some nourishment - protein, fats, carbohydrates - stat!"

"I got it!" The orange turtle came over to them with a nice, fresh bottle of formula in Kim's claw.

"Oooh perfect! Thanks, Mikey. Oh Bandy... want some dinner?" She shook the bottle to get the puppy's attention and waited for her to come into her arms before feeding her.

"There you go...that's it." She sat down on the couch while cradling the little pup as it drank its fill.

"Hey guys, have you seen my three-inch adjustable wrench? I need it to...uhh, why is there a pooch here?" Donnie said as she eyed down Banda.

"I found her in a pothole near Redbrooks Street with an injured paw and brought her here." She removed the bottle from the puppy's mouth as the milk was gone, belly full and ready for a nap as she yawned.

"Aww... I guess she is ready for some goodnight sleep."

"Okay, just make sure she doesn't poop anywhere or do other bodily functions on the floors I just cleaned. Thank you." Donnie said as he spotted his tool in question that Mikey was using it as a toothpick.

"And I'll take that and stop using my tools as dental tools!"

"Owch!" Mikey groaned when his brother hit him on the back of his back, as a result he wanted to get him back by chasing him back to Donatello's lab.

"Brothers." Leo shook his head then looked over to the water monitor laying the sleeping puppy on the couch tugging a blanket over her.

"She must be exhausted, living on the streets, finding food and shelter in this dangerous city at a month old. Man, life is tough." She gently stroked the animal's head as Leo knelt next to her.

"Yeah, it can be, but on the bright side, you managed to save her today, and that is a win in my book."

"I guess, but I wish I could do more. Like April is a bit apprehensive about me having a pet, and I can't take her to the pound because they will euthanize her if no one adopts her." Leo frowned as he sensed the sadness in her voice when discussing this topic.

Knowing damn well what the word means and the many lives of small animals were taken because of the lack of care for animals that humans domesticated over centuries ago. And Banda was now falling victim to it. It's unfair. Knowing one option that could help the situation, he hated it.

"Well... remember what I told you a few days ago?"

"Yeah... why?" She turned to him with an uncertain expression as he rubbed his head.

"... I would go along with my offer and Banda can stay here until we figure these things out."

"Really!?... Are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want to." She hesitated, thinking it's unfair to burden someone with the responsibility of another living being because of the untimely death if he refused. Leonardo sighs deeply, then tenderly holds her hand while looking confidently into her eyes.

"Don't worry, Kimie. I can handle it, and besides, that's what friends are for, helping each other, right?"

"Yeah."

"So as your best pal I will be..uhm..honored to watch over Banda in the meantime, okay?" He forced himself to say it while making it sound sincere. Shocking his statement caused the water monitor to squeal excitedly that haunted his ears before throwing her arms around his neck.

"¡Mucho Gracias Leo! You're the sweetest turtle alive."

"Yea yea yea..anytime." She released her grip on him when they both heard the puppy's low whimpers under her sleep.

"What's wrong with her?" Leo asked.

"She is just having a nightmare ... .shush it's okay Bandy you're safe here." Kimberly cooed at the puppy while gently rubbing her back to comfort her.

"Try this." She watched the blue-masked turtle take a video tape recorder from his pocket and then pressed a black button, playing the soft, charming music of whales, which had a calming effect on the canines mind.

"It's working! How did you know that was going to work?"

"Mikey." She was in awe, as it made sense since the turtle in question always claimed to have a video set of whale noises to help him sleep.

"Ready for training, Kimberly and Leonardo?" They both turned to the rat man who had just emerged from the dojo, wondering where his students were.

"Oh...sorry Splinter, but I don't think I am in the mood for training...as, uh, well." He hummed inquisitively while stroking his beard until he looked down at Banda sleeping peacefully to the sound of whales.

"Oh, I see, so you children are looking after a puppy?"

"Yea..sorry pops for not telling you sooner but Kim needed my help to heal the puppy's wounds and a place to recover. Don't be mad." Leo said nervously, fidgeting with his fingers. He watched his father sit next to the young mountain puppy to get a better look.

As expected he noticed the bandage around the animal's front left paw and hummed impressively.

"Mad? Why would I be mad at a generous offer both you two have made."

"Uh?" Both of them looked at each other confusedly on what he meant and Splinter knew as he chuckled and rested a paw on their shoulders.

"You remind me of a woman I once loved. Your mother, Leonardo, always had a strong passion for small animals and nurturing them back to health. Something that passes down to both of you."

"Well some of us." Leo ponders.

"Thank you master Splinter for understanding and I promise to find a good home for Banda in the meantime."

"Very well but remember this great saying.. a warrior who shows humility and hospitality to others, makes an everlasting friendship with others."

"Whoa!...that deep senasi." Her master chuckled at her comment then turned around back to the dojo.

You know, Kim, training is important if you want to be a kunoichi, right?"

"Of course, Leo, but I just want to make sure Bandy is okay after today, you know?"

"I know, so while you go train your ninjutsu skills, I will be out here watching over her, so if anything goes wrong, I will be there to help." Leo thought this was a good idea since he knew how important training is when he first started those years ago, and the more he kept up with his father's lesson, the better.

"Really?..thanks." Leo blushed when she kissed his cheek to show her appreciation, then gave Banda one more head rub and headed to the training room.

"So that what her lips feel like, so gentle.