The next couple of weeks passed quickly. Halloween came and went, though none of us dared venture out for fear of being spotted. It was mid November, just three and a half weeks since Splinter and I had narrowly escaped from the laboratory. The air outside was beginning to grow cooler, and everywhere I turned, there were decorations and advertisements promoting the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Knowing that there was no way I could return to my ruined apartment, I rented a post office box near April's place and had all of my mail forwarded there. Of course, it mainly consisted of past due bill notices, which depressed and worried me. Still, I tried to keep my spirits up. I kept reminding myself that things would get better with time. And for now, I had wonderful friends to keep me company and cheer me up when I was feeling down.

Despite their insistences to the contrary, I was determined not to be a burden on Casey and April for much longer. Although I couldn't venture out too far, or for too long, I devoted a couple of hours every day to job hunting. I searched the want ads in the paper mostly, and when I wasn't doing that, I drove around the area, seeking out 'Help Wanted' signs. Donatello helped me search the internet as well. He had a knack for finding things online. My biggest problem was that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Where would I go from here? I knew it would be too painful to return to lab work, but that had been the extent of my career. It was what I was good at, and I hadn't really done much else. I waitressed for a while back in college, but that was a long time ago. Besides, I would have to do something low key until all of this blew over. In any case, I would have taken just about any job at that point--anything to become independent again.

When I wasn't busy looking for a job or doing chores around the apartment, I spent my alone time playing with Buster and reading the Japanese book Splinter had given me. I really wanted to learn some of his native language so I could surprise him with it later. I don't know why exactly, but for some reason, I yearned to impress him.

I journeyed down to their lair almost daily. At first, I insisted that Casey or April come with me, but I soon found myself able to navigate through the underground tunnels without much trouble. Even the smell and filth became less noticeable the more I got used to it. And it was worth it to see my friends. I sat in on many of their practices, and each day I found myself more and more amazed at what they were capable of.

As I watched the turtles battle each other, both with and without weapons, I was intrigued. Splinter, a mutant, ninja rat, had taught them all of this. The mere idea of it was almost unfathomable. Splinter himself joined in on most practices. There were times though when he was simply their teacher, standing off in the side lines to critique their moves. Those moments were the most interesting I had ever witnessed, and the weeks that followed were the most peaceful I'd had in a long time.

One night, as I sat in my room reading the Japanese book, there was a gentle knock on the door. I set down my reading material and glanced toward the entrance.

"Yes?"

The door creaked open, and Splinter peeked in. His visit was unexpected, and I smiled in surprise.

"Good evening, Holly. Am I disturbing anything important?" He lingered in the doorway, watching me.

"No...in fact, I was just reading some of that book you gave me." I picked it up again and held it out to show him. "Pretty fascinating stuff, though I don't think I have the right pronunciation just yet."

Splinter smiled gently and sat down at the foot of the bed. Buster strolled up to him wagging his tail. I watched apprehensively, unsure if Splinter liked the company of dogs, but I relaxed when I saw his expression soften, and he gently scratched him behind the ears.

"Perhaps I can help you." He offered.

"Yeah...okay. Ummm...how about this word? Now don't laugh!"

Splinter continued to pet Buster as he watched me in silence. I slowly read the word from off the page, trying to pronounce it accurately.

"Ohh-hay-ohh...that's good morning, right?"

Splinter smiled, his eyes shining with amusement. "Ohh-high-ohh. Like the state."

"Ohayou." I pronounced it correctly that time. "Well...it was close."

"Yes. Anata wa nasu totemo roku desu."

"Hmmm?"

"You are doing very well."

Oh. Yeah...well, thanks." I set the book aside, trying to remember some of the others from memory. "Good night is...oyasumi...nasai...?"

Splinter nodded his approval.

I smiled, pleased with my own progress. "Okay...I learned that...otoko is...man, and...onna is woman. Utsukushii is beautiful..." I said the last word slowly.

"Yes." Splinter smiled. I must have pronounced it accurately, because he didn't correct me that time.

"So then what's the word for handsome?"

He lowered his eyes for a moment, returning his attention to Buster, who's tail was wagging a mile a minute as he licked Splinter's hand. "Tansei."

"Tansei...right. You know, that's really cute."

"Hmmm?" He stared at me blankly.

I motioned toward him and Buster. "Two furry guys making friends." The sight of them together was almost comical--two creatures, both animals, hanging out together--one oddly resembling a man, the other wagging his tail with affection like the canine he is.

His forehead crinkled in curiosity.

"Never mind." I giggled. I returned my attention to the book, quickly leafing through the pages. "Let's see...ahh, here we go. Dinner...bangohan. So then what's lunch...?"

"Chuuhan."

"Ohh...yeah, I see now...and then breakfast is...asagohan?"

He nodded again. "Before long, we will be able to easily converse in Japanese if you keep it up."

"Yeah. Maybe I'll surprise you one of these days." I smiled.

A loud ruckus from the other side of the door announced the turtles' arrival. Splinter ran his hand over Buster's head one last time then rose to his feet.

"Bangohan wa dekiru desu yo." He said softly.

I stared at him in confusion. "Dinner..."

"Dinner is ready!"

"Oh yeah...sounds like it." I set down the book and followed him out.

April had invited everyone over for Chinese take out. The nine of us squeezed ourselves around the small kitchen table with barely enough room to move, let alone eat. No one seemed to care though. We spent most of dinner laughing and joking. It was the most fun I'd had in a very long time, and for the next hour or so, I forgot all of my troubles. Raphael and Casey talked about some of their run-ins from when they used to go on nightly patrol. It seemed Casey was a bit of a vigilante. I assumed that fatherhood and marriage had tamed him somewhat.

Splinter shared some amusing stories about when the turtles were little. He told about the time that he found Michaelangelo in the kitchen as an infant with peanut butter from head to toe, and the time he caught Leonardo and Donatello covered in his precious Japanese herbs. It seemed the overabundance of them caused an allergic reaction, and they itched for weeks. He spoke of several crazy food fights they'd gotten into over the years. Then there was the time when they were teenagers and Leonardo signed Raphael up for the Barry Manilow fanclub. Raphael grumbled when he was reminded about the time his own prank backfired, and he ended up with marshmallow and feathers all over himself. Splinter had me in hysterics. If only I'd been there to see it all!

Michaelangelo had a talent for impressions. He could imitate anyone from Cagney to Scooby Doo. It seemed his act was especially entertaining to April and Shadow. Raphael just rolled his eyes, and Don and Leo chuckled, shaking their heads.

His share of the entertainment ended with Bill Clinton.

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman..."

Raphael almost choked on his noodles. "Heh heh...tell us something we don't know, Mikey!"

"Hey!"

"I think that will be enough of Mr. Clinton." Splinter interrupted kindly. He glanced a little uncomfortably at April and me.

"Yeah" April agreed quickly. She glanced at Shadow. "Young ears."

"Oops, sorry." Mike cringed.

"Time for fortunes." Leo came to the rescue. "Here, everyone take a cookie." He passed the tray to Donatello.

"You have to read it out loud!" Mike insisted.

Don broke the cookie open, and stared at the paper in his hands, blushing a little.

"What's it say?" Mike grinned.

"Your help will be needed in an embarrassing situation. Dunno if I like the sound of that..."

Leo patted his shoulder. "Hey, it could have been worse."

"Yeah, I guess..."

Leo took his own cookie and read, "Be as willing to take advice as to give it."

"Now talk about destiny..." Raphael joked.

Mike exchanged smiles with Don. "Hey, who rigged the fortunes?"

Shadow went next. "Fortune awaits you just around the corner."

"Hey, that one shoulda been mine!" Casey protested. His prophesied something about home and family life. I thought it was quite fitting, really.

The tray was passed to April. "Success will come to your plans." She smiled in satisfaction.

I was silently hoping that I would get one as uplifting as that. I could have really used the encouragement.

Raphael held his own paper in his thick fingers, a look of pure disgust crossing his face. "Avert misunderstandings by calm, poise and balance."

Everyone broke into laughter.

"Hey," Mike suggested. "Maybe you should meditate on that, especially before you talk to Leo."

Leonardo frowned at him. "I wouldn't talk so soon if I were you. You're next."

Mike anxiously took his cookie and broke it open, grinning. "Your winsome smile will be your sure protection."

Raphael snorted and shook his head. Mike batted his eyelids at him playfully.

"Oh brother..." Casey moaned. He flung a spoonful of rice at Mike.

"Hey..." April warned. "No food fights. After those stories Splinter told us, I'm afraid my kitchen would never be the same."

Mike lowered his rice-filled chopsticks, disheartened, as the others giggled.

Splinter and I were the only two left. I motioned for him to go first, but he insisted that it was my turn. I stared at the two cookies, trying to decide which one to take. Of course, I'd never really believed in this stuff. It was only for fun. In my mind, there was no cosmic force that ruled the universe or dealt out fate. Everything was a conscious decision.

Finally, I made my choice and broke the cookie open, a grin spreading across my face as I felt several pairs of eyes watching me in silence. But slowly, the grin faded, and I felt my heart sink.

"Bury your unworkable dreams or they will surely bury you."

I didn't know what to make of it. It sounded to me like it was telling me to give up, that everything I had been working so hard for was unattainable.

"You okay, Holly?" Mike laid his hand on my shoulder, watching me carefully. I glanced up and noticed seven other pairs of eyes on me as well.

"I'm fine." I lied. "Splinter's turn."

He stared at me for a moment, concern in his eyes, before apprehensively taking the last cookie. He broke it carefully and removed the slip of paper from the crumbs. "You think that is a secret, but it never has been one." He read softly.

"Ooooh...Splinter's keeping secrets..." Mike taunted.

For the briefest of moments, a look of uneasiness crept into Splinter's face. A confused expression filled his features as he folded the fortune in half, sealing its contents. I would have laughed if not for the depression that was already starting to set in.

I slept in late the next morning, hesitant to face the day ahead. I felt last night's lingering depression hovering over me, and I couldn't seem to shake it.

It was only a fortune... I kept reminding myself. It doesn't mean anything.

Of course it didn't, and I knew that, but somehow, that didn't make me feel any better.

April and Casey were at work, and I had the house to myself, but I couldn't relax. I felt nervous and restless, and I couldn't even focus enough to watch television or read. I decided some fresh air might do me good, so I borrowed April's van and drove to the post office to pick up my mail. I was expecting more bad news, but I clung to the hope that maybe something good would happen for a change.

I unlocked the box and pulled out my mail, sorting through it carefully. Bill...bill...your account is past due...bill...Yes! It was a letter from my mom in Michigan. I hadn't heard from her in months. Eagerly, I tore open the envelope and began to read.

      Dear Holly,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a long time.  Aunt Rose was in the hospital for a few
days with a broken ankle that refused to mend right.  She's doing well now, and she and 
the cats say 'hello'.  I finally got some time off work, and I'm using it to get my 
affairs in order, so hopefully I can retire next year.  I wish we could visit more often.
Call me sometime.  I miss you.  Write back soon,

      Mom

I folded the letter back up, my eyes moistening with unshed tears.

"I miss you too, mom." I whispered.

I gathered the rest of my mail up and locked the box again, dropping the key in my pocket. As I headed for the entrance, I got a distinct feeling that someone was watching me. Nervously, I glanced around the post office, but found nothing suspicious. I felt fear well up inside of me as I scanned the line of people who were waiting to ship their packages. Their backs were to me, and some of them were talking anxiously amongst themselves.

I hurried out the door and toward the van, trying to shake the feeling of terror that gripped me. My heart pounded as I fished the key out of my purse and unlocked the door. I glanced into the back of the van before entering, suddenly feeling like the victim in a horror movie. The van was empty. I turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the space quickly. Once on the street, I floored the gas pedal and headed as fast as I could to April's, swerving in and out of the midday traffic.

It was when I was forced to stop at a red light, and happened to glance into the rearview mirror that I first noticed it. A black Lincoln towncar pulled up behind me, the windows tinted dark so I couldn't see inside. It reminded me of all of those movies I'd seen where the sleek black car is chasing the helpless victim to their doom.

Relax... I told myself. You're just being paranoid. The street was filled with cars.

Maybe I had been watching too much television lately.

The light turned green, and I accelerated as fast as traffic would allow. I weaved in between a red Ford pickup and a Honda Accord, making my way toward the front of the line. People in their cars began to honk at me as I hurried past them, barely managing not to hit them. I was hoping to lose the menacing car in the tight traffic, yet, somehow, it managed to keep up with me. This was seriously starting to freak me out. I turned left at the next street, trying to avoid the heavy congestion, and hoping to lose them, but they followed, keeping only a short distance between us. A lump formed in my throat. My hands were shaking as I turned the wheel, making a right into a residential area. Hopefully my pursuers wouldn't be stupid enough to try to hurt me in front of all of those people.

For the next several minutes, I swerved left and right through the unusually quiet residential neighborhood, down streets I didn't even know the names of, trying to break away from the car that followed. They kept up with me quite well though, and began to close in the gap that had, only moments before, started to grow between us.

"Shit!" I cursed, my sweaty palms nearly slipping from the steering wheel as I searched for another route of escape. This was impossible. Why was this happening to me, and who the hell were these guys? It only took my brain a few seconds to register the answer. I swallowed hard and glanced in the mirror again, keeping my site on the car behind me.

"Bastards..."

This didn't make any sense though. Why would they be so blatantly obvious? Were they trying to scare me? I slammed my foot hard against the gas pedal, making my way back out to the main street. I hoped beyond hope that traffic wouldn't pick up suddenly, and that I wouldn't hit anyone as I sped around the turn. I was going as fast as I possibly could without losing control of the vehicle, determined to get away. I was sure that if Jim and Larry caught me, it would be all over.

I was approaching another mass of cars. They were all stopped, though the light was green. I cursed silently, knowing that if we were held up for too long, my pursuers would have the opportunity to try to overpower me. I came to a stop and glanced in the mirror again. They were a few car lengths behind me. I shifted in the seat, looking out over the sea of cars to try to get an idea of what the hold up was. I smacked the steering wheel, cursing, when I noticed the crash. A big rig truck and a van had gotten into a collision. The van's front was smashed beyond repair, but the person I assumed to be the driver was walking around, and appeared to be okay. The police hadn't arrived yet, and traffic was backed up far behind me. In a moment of desperation, I turned the wheel, driving up onto the sidewalk. I went as fast I could manage, dodging lightposts and telephone poles. When I finally cleared the accident, I glanced back over my shoulder and noticed that the car that had been following me was still stuck in the middle of the traffic jam.

Sighing in relief, yet still shaking with fear, I steered the van back into the street and sped away, hoping I could find my way back to April's without any trouble.

You know how desperate situations can help you accomplish amazing things? Well, I managed to find April's place in a matter of minutes, even after losing myself in that unfamiliar neighborhood. I'm not exactly sure how I came to find myself in her driveway (my sense of direction has never been outstanding), but I was extremely grateful for my small bout of good luck.

I turned off the engine and rested my head against the steering wheel. My heart was still pounding fiercely, and I had to struggle to breathe so I wouldn't hyperventilate. Somehow, I got my brain to work enough to tell my body that it needed to get inside before my assailants caught up with me. Clumsily, I pushed open the car door and climbed out. I hurried into the building as fast as I could on shaky legs. When I got to the apartment, I found it empty. It was after four o' clock, and I began to panic again.

Shouldn't Casey be home by now?

I ran down the hall to Mike's place, and banged on the door.

"Mike! Mike, are you there? Please, let me in!"

The door swung open, and I nearly fell on him.

"Holly!?" He was clearly stunned. "What's wrong?"

I choked back the tears that fought to surface, and gripped his arms to keep from falling. "They're after me. They know where I am."

He pulled me inside, where Splinter and Raphael had been having some tea. They looked up from their discussion and stared at me, wide eyed.

"Holly?" Splinter was to his feet in seconds, and at my side. Raphael quickly followed.

"I...I'm sorry. I tried to find April or Casey, but they're not home..." I was rambling now.

"Hey, take a deep breath...that's it..." Raphael soothed.

I knew I needed to calm down, but my body was refusing. I took a few raspy breaths, and began again.

"I went to the post office to get my mail..." Was that my voice that was shaking and cracking like that? "I felt someone watching me, but I didn't see anyone, so I got into the van and started home. But--"

I took another deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself enough to speak.

Raphael laid a hand on my shoulder, attempting to be supportive. I appreciated the gesture.

"It is alright, Holly. Take your time." Splinter said softly.

"I...I was driving, and I noticed this car following me...It was them...I know it was. I tried to lose them, but they kept following me, no matter what I did."

"Shit..." Raphael breathed.

"There was this accident, and I finally managed to lose them, but just barely. I...I don't know what to do. They're too close! They're going to find me!"

"No." Splinter said calmly. "They do not know where you are just yet, or they would not have needed to follow you."

"Splinter's right." Mike said gently. "It's pretty amazing how you lost them like that."

I knew they were trying to make me feel better, but it didn't work.

"I believe it would be best for you to stay down below for a while, Holly. We will gather together tonight and discuss what to do next."

I nodded in agreement and slumped down onto the couch, resting my head in my hands. I was beginning to feel lost and hopeless all over again.

A moment later, I felt someone touch my arm. I looked up into Splinter's face. He held out a tea cup, which I took reluctantly.

"Drink it." He said softly. "You will feel better once you do."

I stared into the cup at the greenish-brown liquid before bringing it to my lips. It had a bitter taste, but wasn't unpleasant. I drank it quickly, allowing it to warm me from the inside out. Slowly, I began to relax. I laid my head back against the couch, breathing softly. I must have dozed off, because the last thing I remember is feeling someone take the cup from my hand, and seeing, through a haze, Splinter's kind face smiling down on me.