I awoke in a dark place. The air was silent, except for the faint sound of breathing nearby. I struggled to see in the darkness, but it was no use. It was pitch-black. Memory slowly returned to me. I had been captured! Jim or Larry had gotten to me, and were now holding me captive! I bolted upright and tried to rise, but pain shot through my head, and traveled down to my ribs and back. I moaned and fell back onto what surprisingly felt like a nice, soft mattress.

I heard a rustle somewhere to my right, and could feel a presence approaching. It was the weirdest sensation. I couldn't hear footsteps or even the sound of a breath, yet I could sense someone was near.

"Who's there?" I asked nervously.

"Ahhh good...you're awake." It was a male voice I didn't recognize, but it didn't sound unkind.

"Who are you? I can't see."

"Oh...sorry about that..." I felt the presence move away again, and heard the scratch-fizz of a match being struck. A few seconds later, the smell of sulfur, and a faint orange light invaded my senses. The lit candle was placed on a table several feet from me, and in its glow, was the silhouette of a stocky form. I could barely make out the outline of a face, the glimmer of large eyes watching me in the golden light. Something about the way the body moved, how the face was shaped, seemed very odd to me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. God, I must have bumped my head pretty hard. I was starting to imagine weird things. The person took a step toward me, then stopped, as if he was waiting for my permission to proceed. I stared at the figure for a long time, trying to size him up in the darkness.

"You still haven't told me--"

"My name is Michaelangelo. Hmm...Splinter's right, you are a feisty one, aren't ya?"

"Splinter?" So I hadn't been dreaming? I tried to rise again, the pain in my head increasing.

"Hey, whoa, calm down..." I felt a gentle hand touch my shoulder. "You need to take it easy. That's a nasty bump you've got on your head."

I reached up a hand to touch the sore spot, and let out a gasp. It hurt like a mother.

"That cut on your neck is pretty deep too. You have to be careful not to tear the stitches."

My hand moved to my neck, running over a tight patch of gauze.

"Splinter says you had a pretty nasty fall when you fainted. Luckily, he was there to carry you to safety."

"He...carried me?"

"Most of the way here. Confidentially, I'm surprised he made it as far as he did in his condition. He called April from a pay phone a few blocks away. He was about ready to collapse when we found you."

"And April would be...?"

"Oh...uhh...sorry, I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes. April is a friend of ours. She owns this building."

"And where are we exactly?"

"This is my apartment in Manhattan."

"He carried me all the way to Manhattan?"

"Most of the way, like I said, yeah."

I couldn't believe the stamina that rodent had. He'd seemed so frail, yet even after the torture he'd undergone, he'd managed to fight off Curtis, and then carry me a great distance in the cold of night. I felt better knowing that he cared about my safety. It made him seem like much less of a threat than I'd previously imagined. Indeed, I had not been harmed. But was this place really safe?

"How is he? Splinter I mean..."

"Oh, he's doing okay now, thanks to you. He's pretty exhausted, and I could tell that he was mentally and emotionally drained when we found him last night, but he's gonna pull through just fine. He really had us worried there for a while. I thought we'd never see him again."

The voice cracked with emotion as he spoke. So Splinter did have a family that was worried about him. This was getting more and more eerie by the second. How much more would I be able to predict about my strange new friend?

"And let me guess...you're not human either..."

I don't know what made me say it, just call it a gut feeling. A talking, bipedal rat living among humans probably isn't the most bizarre concept in the world, but the idea did seem ridiculous. I had a suspicion that Splinter wasn't the only one of his kind. Besides, this being seemed to be hiding from me, only allowing me to get a glimpse of him in the darkness.

"You're pretty good at this. Ever play twenty questions?"

I ignored his joke. "Who are you exactly?"

"I'm one of Splinter's sons. We brought you here to my apartment, because we thought it would be a little too dangerous to risk taking you to the sewers in your condition. Not exactly the best living situation down there if you know what I mean--"

"The sewers?" Was that where Splinter lived? It sounded ghastly, but I had to admit I couldn't think of many other places for a creature like him to hide without being exploited.

"I'll explain everything to you if you want. I'm gonna turn the light on now, so don't scream or anything, okay? I may look a little different, but I won't harm you."

I nodded in the darkness, doubting he could see me.

"Close your eyes. The light is bright and might hurt your head."

I did as instructed. A few seconds later, I could sense the room flood with light. The brightness of it threatened to pierce my eyelids. My head pounded, but I could contain my curiosity no longer. Slowly, I opened my eyes, squinting as the brightness flooded them. A quaint room greeted me. It was scantily furnished with a small desk, which held the burning candle and several stacks of papers, a nightstand with an alarm clock and lamp, and the small single bed on which I now half laid, half sat. A couple of posters of comic book characters were taped to the walls. Superman curtains hung from the single window, giving an air of humor, yet homeliness to the room. My host must have noticed my intrigue.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much. It's very nice."

"Master Splinter says that we should not define ourselves by our possessions, but let our possessions be defined by us. I'm a writer, so I surround myself with things that inspire me."

I turned to look at him now. He was seated in a folding chair to my right, holding a book in his lap. This creature was even more fascinating than Splinter. He sat like a man, with one ankle resting on his knee, his arms crossed and laying comfortably on the book. The muscles in his arms and legs were well defined and toned, so obviously he exercised like a human. But that's where the similarities to our species ended. His skin was a vivid shade of green. He had no hair on his head, or anywhere else from what I could tell, and from his hands grew only three thick fingers. His feet, too, were odd. He only had two toes. His side was toward me, and I noticed that his back housed some sort of shell or carapace. I would have screamed bloody murder if not for his casual posture, the bright, cheerful eyes, and the smile on his face that was so warm, it was infectious. I just stared at him for a long time, and he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he stared back, just as intensely.

"So, you wanna know our story? It's simple really." I listened intently for the next half-hour as I was told a tale about love, betrayal, vengeance, a strange liquid with mutagenic properties, and the four baby turtles and one rat who were transformed by it. Forced to hide from the outside world, they'd lived together in the sewers for seventeen years, before Mike had taken this apartment. His three brothers, oddly named Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo remained in the sewers with Splinter. Raphael, Who Mike described as somewhat of a loner, lived alone now, but his home was still underground, not far from the others. Twenty-five years had passed since their transformation, and even though they'd finally branched out and begun lives apart from one another, they still remained very connected.

"Splinter and Raph had an argument." Michaelangelo was saying. "That so rarely happens anymore. Splinter almost never loses his temper, but he was pretty pissed that night. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry. He told us that he was going out for some fresh air to meditate and clear his mind, but he never came home. We thought...well, we thought he'd been killed."

I stared at Michaelangelo, feeling a pang of guilt as his eyes welled up with tears. He quickly wiped them away and knelt down next to the bed, taking my hand. The scales of his skin were surprisingly warm and smooth.

"Look, I just want to thank you, Holly. You saved my master's life. If not for you, he--" Again, his voice choked with emotion.

I was still amazed that these creatures possessed an ability to feel such intense emotions. If not for their outward appearance, I would have sworn to anyone who asked that they were human.

"It's okay, Michaelangelo." I said quickly.

"Call me Mike. All my friends do."

I smiled. "Okay...Mike." I was already warming up to him. There was just something about this creature that made me feel safe. "I was just doing what I knew I had to. I promised myself I wouldn't allow things like that to happen. I couldn't sit back and let them hurt him like that--" I stopped, unsure if Mike wanted to hear the gory details.

"It's okay." He assured me. "Splinter told us all about it. He told us about the experiments, and how you set him free. He refused to rest until he knew you'd be all right. Stayed up half the night against our better wishes."

He had been that concerned about me? But why?

"What time is it?" I asked, noticing it was still dark outside.

"Five o' clock. It'll be light soon."

I rested my head back against the pillows, trying to grasp all I had seen and been through in the past couple of days.

"Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?"

As if in response, my stomach growled loudly. I felt empty inside, like I hadn't eaten for days.

"I'll take that as a yes." He grinned. "You get comfortable while I make you some breakfast. I'll be right back."

He hurried from the room before I could voice my concern about the type of food he'd be serving. Just what did a turtle like him eat anyway? We always fed the ones in the lab crickets and nightcrawlers. It made me a little squeamish to think I might not get a decent meal for a few days. But whatever he came back with, I would accept it politely, and try to force it down without choking.

I pushed myself up in the bed, and my head began to swim. I guess I had taken a pretty nasty fall. I hoped the food would remedy some of the queasiness. I pulled the blankets down to my waist, and took stock of myself. I had bruises here and there on my arms, probably from where Curtis had grabbed me and thrown me around. Besides that, and the pain in my head and neck, I was relatively uninjured. I noticed that I was wearing a different shirt. I glanced around, searching for the one that had been torn, but it was nowhere to be found. It made me a little uneasy to think that Mike had undressed me, but when I realized I was still in my own pants, I decided not to dwell on it.

Mike returned moments later with a steaming bowl in his hands. He set it down on the nightstand, and sat at the foot of the bed watching me.

I picked up the bowl and rested it in the blankets on my lap. I swirled my spoon in the brown broth, stirring up carrots and potatoes and corn. I stared at him in surprise.

"Vegetable soup?"

"Yeah...uhhh...sorry. I didn't have a chance to get groceries. April usually does it for me, but she's been really busy with work. It was the only thing I had left in the house."

I scooped up a spoonful, enjoying the wondrous taste as the warmth of the broth coursed through me. "No, this is great! It's really delicious."

"Thanks." he smiled. "I was hoping you'd like it. It's my own secret recipe."

Again, I stared at him in wonder. "You're a good cook."

Mike smiled and rose from the bed. "I'm gonna go call my bros. Now that you're awake, I'm sure they'll wanna meet you."

They stood before me like criminals in a line-up. But it was they that were scrutinizing me. Three pairs of eyes searched me up and down, as if assessing whether I would be a threat. I thought they were a little paranoid, but who could blame them really? I realized that with the life they must have led, it was probably very difficult to trust people. As they looked me over, I examined each one of them as well. They looked so much alike. They were all about the same height and build. Each one carried a full terrapin shell--carapace and plastron. Each had a tail and the same green skin. Yet there were minute, but distinct differences too. Mike, of course, had those warm eyes, and that enchanting smile that never disappeared for too long. Raphael carried himself in a way that I interpreted as trying to hide something--the fact that he was uncomfortable perhaps. He appeared aloof and distant, his arms folded loosely across his chest. He was wary of me, I could tell, and there was a fire in his eyes, like Splinter's had been the day I found him, only more intense. Donatello was quiet, and although his eyes made full contact with mine, something told me he was on the shy side, and my presence made him uneasy. He had a welcoming face and bright, thoughtful eyes, but he fidgeted with his hands a lot. Like Mike, he was generous with his smiles, but instead of the bright, warm grin, his mouth turned up in an awkward smirk. Leonardo held my attention the longest. He stood straighter than the rest, poised and confident. His shoulders were squared, his arms at his sides. There was an air of elegance and maturity about him. For some reason I couldn't quite put my finger on, he reminded me of Splinter. His very essence intrigued me.

"We would like to thank you for rescuing our master, Holly." Leo's voice was smooth and formal. "I know you risked a great deal to do so."

I sat back on the couch. My head was still sore, but some of the pain had begun to subside. Mike insisted that his soup had magical powers, but I attributed the ease of discomfort to the two Tylenol he'd given me afterwards.

"Your brother already thanked me, and really, it's no big deal. I would have done it for any animal--I mean...anyone." Referring to my new friends as animals seemed inappropriate, and I found myself wondering how they felt about such a reference. They made no outward reaction however, save for Raphael's sarcastic huff. Leonardo shot him a warning glance, and Raphael quieted, though he gave no other indication that he'd acknowledged his brother's look. I figured that Leonardo must have been an authority in this group. The position seemed to fit him quite well.

"Master Splinter told us that your life is now in danger. I want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to keep you safe." He bowed to me. I was speechless for a moment.

"Wow...well, that's quite an offer, Leonardo, but I can take care of myself, really. The first thing I need to do is find a new job. After that, life should get back to normal fairly quickly." I was fibbing more than a little bit. The truth was, I was scared about what Jim and Larry might do. Curtis, I knew would probably be in the hospital for a few days, thanks to Splinter. That rat had really kicked his ass, but he deserved every minute of it. How dare he try to violate me? I closed my eyes, trying to shut it all out.

"Holly..." Leo knelt down next to me, on one knee. "We know how the government works. We've dealt with people like this before. Splinter told us about the ID cards, and the surveillance cameras, and how they threatened your life. They probably have access to your personal files--where you live, your phone number, your birthday, and probably even your social security number and credit record. This is much more serious than you're letting on."

I cleared my throat, wishing that I could put it all behind me and move on, but I knew that was impossible, and I knew there was no way I could trick them into believing otherwise. "Okay, I know it's bad. These guys have evidence that I broke into the lab without their permission. And yes, they do have access to my personal files. When I filled out the forms for my secret clearance, I was forced to bare my entire life. But I refuse to hide in some hole and live my life in fear. Besides, this isn't your problem. I'm the one who breached security. I got into this mess all by myself."

"No...it was because of Splinter that you took it as far as you did. If not for him, you wouldn't be in this mess right now. And for that, we owe you a debt of gratitude. Allow us to help you, Holly. Splinter wants it that way."

Splinter...

I bit my lip. "Can I see him?"

"He's not well yet, Holly. Come to think of it, neither are you. Are you sure you want to risk going down there right now?"

Down? Oh, right, they lived in the sewer. Great.

I really didn't like the idea of going into such a filth-infested sludge hole. In fact, I loathed the very thought of it. I'd heard stories on the news about people, little children mostly, getting lost and dying down there. The sewers weren't safe as far as I was concerned. They were unfit for any living creature, even rats. Rats like Splinter...well, he definitely deserved better. Still, I knew I had to go. There was something I needed to say to him.

"I...uhhh...are you sure it's safe?"

"Safe is a relative word." Raphael mumbled. I stared at him for a moment. His arms were still folded across his chest, but a look of mischief shined in those dark eyes.

"We can enter through the back." Leonardo motioned toward a door that connected to the living room. "April set this up for us. It's really convenient."

I followed the four brothers through the living room. This was going to be an experience I wouldn't soon forget.

The sewers were even worse than I expected. Trash of all kinds floated down a river of sludge and decay. The walls were covered with dirt and slime. And the smell...god, I thought someone had died down there.

"It's not so bad once you get used to it." Mike seemed apologetic. I must have been making a horrific face.

As we walked, the overhead lights began to dim. We didn't get far from the apartment before we were bathed in complete darkness. I was amazed that they could navigate these underground tunnels without being able to see. I grabbed onto someone's arm, and followed him carefully, doing my best to avoid stepping in anything gross, as I was still without shoes. Several times, my feet fell on something grimy or squishy, and once or twice, I'd accidentally stepped in a puddle of God-knows-what. The thought of it made my skin crawl.

I felt nauseous by the time we reached a dimly lit corridor. The smell was making me gag. I let go of Don's arm (realizing it was him I had latched onto. Don't ask me how, I'm really not sure, they looked so much alike), and covered my mouth with the back of my hand, trying not to be rude to my guides.

"Holly? Are you okay?" Mike stared at me, concerned.

I shook my head, unable to speak, lest the gagging turn into something more violent. How could these guys live like this? I felt pity for them for the lives they must have led here in this dark, damp, disease infested place. I could only begin to imagine the horrors they'd experienced here.

"What's the matter? Does my home disgust you?"

"Raphael..." Leonardo warned. "Knock it off."

Raphael glared at him, but made no further comment.

"I'm sorry..." I said through my hand. "I just...I'm not used to this."

"It's okay, Holly." Mike squeezed my arm. "It takes some getting used to. We used to get sick down here a lot when we were little."

"We need to get her to the lair and out of this..." Leo said quickly. "Just a little farther, Holly, and then you'll be able to breathe easy again."

When we reached their underground home, I almost completely forgot about our previous surroundings and the resulting nausea. The lair was incredible. The air was fresh and odorless, save for the faint smell of incense. There was a couch, a reclining chair, a coffee table and a television--all dilapidated, but in usable condition. Candles were placed at strategic posts around the room, adding a homely atmosphere to my surroundings. They weren't the only source of light, however. There were a couple of lamps, operated by a generator of some kind, and they gave off just enough light for comfort.

There was no filth, no grime, only a small mess of books and blankets, and used food wrappers scattered here and there.

"Please, excuse the mess." Leo cringed. "We're usually more tidy than this, but with Splinter gone...well, things got a little out of control."

"Yeah, well, with the 'King of Slop' spending his nights down here, what do you expect?" Raphael commented.

"Come on Raph, that mess isn't all mine!" Michaelangelo defended. "Besides, if you had a problem with it, you coulda slept at your own place."

Was Mike really that messy? Funny, his apartment seemed pretty organized.

"It doesn't matter who made more of the mess." Leo said firmly. "We're going to clean it up together."

Raph and Mike moaned in unison.

Don rolled his eyes and slumped into the chair. "They're always like this." It was the first thing he'd said since we met. His speech was articulate, his voice mellow. I smiled at him.

Yep, they're definitely brothers, I thought.

Leonardo led me to Splinter's room. A closed door greeted us, and I was reluctant to knock, lest I wake him from much needed sleep. Leo smiled at me, breaking through that barrier of seriousness he'd kept on his face. I must say, it complemented his features nicely.

"When you enter, try to talk softly. The experiments seemed to have over-stimulated his senses."

"Are you sure? I mean...I don't want to wake him."

"Don't worry, Holly. He's been waiting for you." Leo knocked on the door, waited a couple of seconds, then opened it. He peeked his head inside and spoke softly. "Master Splinter? You have a visitor."

I heard a familiar voice from the other side, but it was too quiet to hear what it was saying.

Leo turned to me. "He'll see you now. If you need anything, we'll be in the living room."

"Thanks, Leo." I watched him go, feeling my pulse race. I was nervous, but why? Maybe it was because I didn't want to have to confront what had happened last night, or perhaps I felt safer without the visual confirmation that Splinter did indeed exist. In either case, I ignored my apprehension, and stepped inside.

Splinter was sitting on a futon, propped up with pillows. A blanket rested on his lap, and a silky robe had been draped over his shoulders. He looked almost regal sitting there, despite the weariness in his face. In contrast to the night before, his appearance didn't scare me at all. He looked more like a giant stuffed animal than a ferocious beast. His fur had been washed and brushed, and looked unbelievably soft. Yet, it was my Splinter sitting there, the same creature I had set free last night.

"Ahh...Holly, please, come in." He motioned toward the foot of his bed. "Come, sit. We have much to discuss."

I did as he asked, still in awe of the being before me. The futon was soft, not quite as forgiving as Michaelangelo's bed, but it was comfortable. I stared at him for a long time, telling myself over and over that this was real...all of this was real. Finally, I noticed he was returning the stare, and, feeling awkward, I moved my eyes away quickly to study the room. It was very simple, very organized and quaint. There was a small bookcase to the left of the bed, which contained several books. Most of the titles appeared to be in a foreign language of some kind, but it was hard to make out the words in the dim candlelight. A couple of neatly framed works of art decorated the walls (these were definitely Asian), and were accompanied by a scroll which had been rolled out most of the way and tacked to the wall above Splinter's head. Save for the futon, a delicately embroidered rug, and the candles, that was the extent of the furnishings.

"How are you feeling?" His melodic voice stole me from my thoughts.

"I'm much better now, thanks. I should be asking you that question."

He smiled at me. It was a peculiar sight, but a welcomed change to the sorrow and anger I had witnessed earlier. "I am healing nicely, thank you. The experiments have taken their toll, but in time, I shall recover. How is your head today?"

I touched the sore spot and flinched a little. "Still tender, but I'll live."

"You had a pretty nasty fall."

"Yeah, so I heard. Must have scared ya, huh?"

"Scared?" He cocked his head, considering that word for a moment. "No. Concerned, yes."

He had a way of speaking that could make even the most common conversation seem interesting.

I smiled at him and he returned the gesture. He was by far the most interesting person I had ever met. And that's just what he was, I decided--a person.

"About that..." I swallowed. "I just really wanted to say...thank you. For saving my life." Memories of what Curtis had done started to surface again, and I felt my face grow flushed.

"It is I who should thank you, Holly. You rescued this weary soul from its bindings, and allowed it freedom once again." he bowed his head to me, a similar gesture to Leo's.

"I'm sorry." I said suddenly. Splinter said nothing, just watched me with curiosity. "I...I'm sorry about how I reacted when I first saw you." Guilt had always been one of my weaknesses. I was embarrassed now for my actions. "I should have set you free then. But I was scared..."

He smiled again, laid a hand on mine. "Many would have done just as you did in your situation, Holly. But few would have returned."

I understood now. I imagined that everyone who had ever come into contact with them had been scared or surprised at first. What was important to him was that I had seen him as another being worthy of my help, and I hadn't turned away. Still, I couldn't get the sound of his anguished cries or the site of his writhing body out of my mind.

"What they did to you--"

He squeezed my hand tighter. "Please, I do not wish to think of such things."

I nodded, feeling guilty again. "I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize for that which you have no control over. I will survive, as will you. We must be thankful that we have our lives this day."

I nodded again. Something about the way he spoke reminded me of a parable or a fable. I told him so, and he laughed softly. The sound of his laughter made me smile.

"I trust you have met my family."

"Yes. Your sons are great, Splinter. They're all very nice. Except..." I was reluctant to say it, but I'd already opened by big mouth. "Well, I think Raphael hates me."

Splinter laughed again. I had to wonder what was so funny.

"I am certain he feels quite the opposite, Holly. He is an...unusual soul. It will take time for him to warm up to you, but I am certain that with time, he will show his true feelings. He has acted no different with you than he has with any other human. Even April took some time."

"I've heard a lot about April. She sounds like a very interesting person. When will I get to meet her?"

"Soon...very soon. Tonight perhaps."

I glanced down at the unfamiliar shirt. "Is this hers?"

"Yes, she loaned it to you last night to replace the one that was damaged."

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. I wondered how much Splinter had seen before his rescue in the elevator. All I could think about were Curtis's sweaty hands touching me, the stench of his breath on my face. I felt dirty suddenly. I craved a shower. I looked away from Splinter, unable to face him as the pent up rage began to surface.

"Holly?"

I glanced up at him, realizing he'd been speaking to me. Concern filled his eyes as he watched me. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." I said quickly, still shivering from the memories of last night. "I'm sorry, I...I was just thinking..."

"About last night." He read my mind like an open book.

I nodded, unable to look at him.

"I was very worried about you." Splinter said softly. "I am glad you were not harmed."

I thought about the stitches in my neck, the bump on my head, but I knew that wasn't what he was referring to. This subject was making me very uncomfortable, so I decided to steer it in a new direction.

"I was worried about you too, Splinter. I thought they were going to kill you."

"Ahh...I believe I have shared that sentiment on more than one occasion."

"How long were you there? Before I found you I mean."

"I was held captive for five weeks."

"Five weeks? God..." So they'd had him there the entire time.

"Indeed, it felt like an eternity, but when I saw you, I knew that my wait would soon be over."

I stared at him dumbfounded for a moment. How could he have possibly known that I would help him? "My dreams..." I understood the connection now. "It was you. You were asking me for help."

"Yes." He nodded. "I attempted to reach you on a mental level--"

"The men in my dreams...they wore masks. You were trying to warn me."

Again he nodded, and I continued.

"The fear I felt...it was your fear."

He stared at me in silence for a while before lowering his head. "Yes." He said softly.

It was beginning to make sense now, though I still couldn't fathom how he'd managed the telepathic connection.

"Fear is our greatest enemy, but I allowed it to control me."

"Splinter?" He looked up at me, and we both just sat there, not knowing what to say. Finally, I broke the awkward silence. "Jim and Larry...they called you 'Nezumi'. What does it mean?"

"It is Japanese for 'rat'."