~ An idea that came, might be only a one chapter, might turn into more, not too sure. Happy forth to everyone, hope you enjoy this!

Four young eager turtles ran around the lair, hollering on top of their lungs, throwing things at each other, as their sensei, I, Master Splinter, watched and shook my head. Knowing that they wouldn't noticed, I quietly slipped out,  returning a few minutes later with a box.

"My young sons," I called, loud enough to get their attention. The first one to stop was Leonardo at the edge of the couch. He was unfortunately in the lead and got hit as each of his brothers ran into him. First it was Raphael, Donatello, then the youngest, Michelangelo. All toppled off of the couch in a heap. Getting up and assuring that they were fine, they lined up to see why I had called them.

"Tonight, I am taking you to the surface for the second time," I told them. Four young faces beamed up at him. They were now at eight years of age, and were first taken up a year ago.

"I have some disguises for you," I explained put the box down and pulled out four small large hooded sweat shirts and four sweat pants.

"Master where did you get these?" Donatello, along with the rest of his brothers were amazed. Each one was the same color as their mask, and looked brand new.

"I found a donation center," I told them. "These were from a store which overstocked for the winter. These are brand new." As the turtles each pulled one set on, the sweat pants were long enough to cover their feet and the shirts covered their hands and heads well.

"Master it's hot!" Raphael complained, Michelangelo nodded.

"I know my sons," I sighed. "But they are essential for tonight, I want to show a holiday the country we live in celebrates."

"A party!" Michelangelo started to hop forgetting about being hot. "Up top with people?"

"As long as you keep yourselves hidden yes," I smiled at my son's excitement but was starting to have second thoughts. What if this wasn't such a good idea? What if they got discovered? Well too late now, I couldn't take back what I had said.

"I know what it is," Donatello piped up waving his hands in the air. I nodded for him to continue. "In 1776 on July forth, it was signed by the Congress President Hancock, and," Donatello's face squirmed up as he paused to think for a moment. "Fifty five, no! Fifty six delegates approving it"

"That's right Donatello," I nodded impressed. He didn't know that much about the declaration and assumed that Donatello had looked in up in some book he had gotten for Christmas. "And tonight I want to show you how some celebrate." I instructed them to each take a hold of each others hands, Leonardo holding mine, while he held Donatello's, and Raphael taking my other hand while he held onto Michelangelo. Heading down the sewer, I aimed for the beach. Soon noises of people could be heard along with some sounds of small explosions. My sons gripped my hands a little tighter I assumed from nervousness, but wanted to go on.

There was more people there than I realized there would be. I had a old black blanket wrapped around me as a cloak, obscuring my features. There were bonfires, people gathered at bar-b-ques, and children playing with sparklers. I saw my son's faces follow the sparklers and wished I could have gotten one for each of them, but we had barely any money. I headed to an area where my son's could still see the fireworks, but we would not be in the view of too many people. Instructing my sons to sit, we watched as the sun was just starting to set, the biggest surprise was yet to come.

"What are you doing here all by yourselves?" I jumped at the voice and turned to the side. This was not the surprise I was expecting. A young woman, possibly in her early twenty's stood there holding the hand of a little girl who was possibly three or four.

"My name is Jessica," She went on not waiting for an answer. "And I was looking for a good place to sit with my daughter, Diana, to watch…"

"Please," Master Splinter stopped her. "This is the first time my sons will be able to see, the lights." Master Splinter hoped that she wouldn't question them. "I wanted to surprise them.

"You may sit if you like, but I am afraid we won't be too much company."

"Oh," Jessica's face had a look of interest, but she turned to her daughter first. "You want to sit here and share some of your sparklers, Diana?" The little girl shook her head.

"Please?" Jessica asked. "This will make mom very proud of you." Diana looked over to my four sons, who were nervous but curious.

"Okay," Diana said sighing with defeat.

"It's not necessary," I started, but Jessica waved him down.

"I am not having my child play while your four have to watch," Jessica looked over our outfits. "Are you just a little over dressed for being out here?" If too many questions followed I would have to take my son's else where.

"Some history I rather not talk about," I said. "You can call me Yoshi," I decided to use my former masters name. "My sons are Leo, Don, Raph, and Mike," I pointed at each.

"Please to meet you," Jessica smiled at them and put down her purse. Opening it up, I saw her pull out a box of sparklers, it was a box of ten. "We have enough for two each," She announced. "Come on boys," Jessica called. I nodded and they all scrambled over, carefully keeping themselves hidden. I was proud to see that as they each took a sparkler in each hand, they let the sweat shirt, cover their hands. Leonardo helped make sure they were all covered before taking his own. Then Jessica lighted them, the boys squealed with surprise. It was not dark, and they followed Diana, chasing circles, and waving the lights in the air.

"So how come they have never seen fireworks before?" Jessica asked once they were out of sight."

"Our family is different from other people," I said. "Many people would not understand us."

"That's sad you know," Jessica said. "In this country where we are suppose to celebrate freedom and diversity, people freak out over the smallest things. I can understand a little, my left hand," Jessica lifted it up. In place of a normal hand, it was smaller, and had only two fingers.

"Many people are afraid of me, and don't take kindly to my daughter and I," Jessica said. "That's why I was looking for a secluded place. You seemed all right though."

"Even though you can't see my face," I asked.

"You have your reason's, like I have mine," Jessica said and looked to where the kids were. The sparklers were gone now and digging in the sand. A little alarmed I saw that my sons were doing the same but Diana seemed okay.

~*~

"Thanks for sharing the sparklers," Leonardo said. Diana shrugged.

"My mom wouldn't let me play with them if I didn't share them," Diana said. "So I guess it was okay."

"Hey Leo!" Michelangelo called. "Raph and I are building a fort against you and Donatello, Diana want to join us, we're the winning team!" Diana looked back and forth for a second.

"Can I be on your team?" Diana asked. "You were the first one to say thank you."

"We'd be honored," Leonardo held out his hand before remembering he wasn't suppose to. Before pulling back, Diana grabbed his hand and her eyes widened.

"Listen Diana, it's okay, please don't run away," Leonardo pleaded.

"I was gonna say your hands are almost like my moms," Diana said. "Just her left hand, has two fingers."

"We're almost done, Leo!" Raphael yelled.

"Come on let's hurry," Diana said and pulled Leo to where Donatello was. "We gotta build a fort Don! Hurry!" He saw Diana let go of Leonardo's hand but started building the fort. Once completed, they were simply walls of sand that crumpled if you leaned on them. While the turtles all took turns running to the water to pack sand better, Diana started on her teams bomb sand balls.

"Ready!" Called Donatello.

"Aim!" Michelangelo yelled.

"Fire!" Diana stood up and started to throw the sand balls a long with Leonardo and Donatello. Getting hit with almost as much sand as they were throwing, Michelangelo and Raphael ran out first and tackled the fort.

"We have your team hostage!" Michelangelo grinned, behind his hood. "Join us!"

"Or be buried in sand!" Raphael said. Leonardo and Donatello started to wrestle back. Distracted from Diana, they tried to pin the other down, until Leonardo pinned Michelangelo, but in the process it threw his hood back, and a loud bang echoed.

"Mikey I'm sorry," Leonardo helped his brother up, thinking he made his head make that sound when he pushed him down.

"Leo look," Michelangelo whispered. Diana didn't see Michelangelo's face for she turned hearing the bang. Putting the hood back on, the four young turtles and the little girl watched the fireworks explode in many different colors.

~*~

"They seem to get along fine," Jessica said.

"It is good for them," I said and smiled sadly wishing I could let my son's have more experiences like this. We watched for a few minutes, the colors flashing over Jessica's face and lighting mine as well.

"Diana! Boys! Come back here please!" Jessica called and I looked down the beach. A group of teenagers were coming down towards the children, looking very rambunctious. The children thankfully ran back up to where we were, and I looked around for escape. These kids seemed to be the type to cause trouble, stomping on blankets of people on the way over, and kicking over the fort the children made.

"My son's help Diana," I said getting up. "Jessica follow me." She took my out stretched hand and I lead them over the hill, which was a little steep. I wasn't worried about my son's following, it was little Diana and her mother I was more worried for. I didn't want them getting hurt. Unfortunately, one of the kids saw us and yelled to his friends.

"Hey man, freaks up the beach!" Turning at the comment, I saw Raphael's hood had fallen back and he was glaring at the teenagers.

"Raphael!" I called sternly. Pulling his hood up, he was the last to jump up and follow.

"My car is just over there!" Jessica pointed in a parking lot. "If we get there, I can drive us out of here." Picking up her daughter, we ran following her but I could see the teenagers were catching up quick. "There it is," Jessica pointed to a small four door car. We weren't going to make it! We'll get to the car, but the teenagers will have caught up before we can all get in.

"Get the children in, don't wait for me!" I said.

"But Yoshi!'

"Please there's no time!" Jessica's eyes widened seeing as how I was right. With a breath she ran to the car, as I stood there, steeling myself. There were five teenagers and they circled me.

"So the small freak belongs to you?" This one had spiked hair and spiked bracelets on. He carried a metal pipe. "What are you going to do, beat me up?" The rest of the teenagers laughed.

"Leave now and I won't have to hurt you," I warned them in a low voice. They laughed and jumped at me. Soon their smiles turned to frowns as I knocked them down, careful not to hurt them but enough to knock them out. As the last one fell, I brushed my hands off then felt some thing push me over.

"I'll make you pay for that stupid man." I guess one wasn't knocked out hard enough. I rolled over and reached up to block exposing my hand.

"You're a freak as well," It was the guy with the lead pipe. As he raised it screeching tires distracted us, and the guy looked up with horror. Jumping he narrowly missed being hit by Jessica's car as it screeched to a halt next to me.

"Get in Yoshi!" She yelled throwing the passenger door open. Before the guy could recover, I got into the car, and Jessica floored it, leaving the sputtering mad teenager behind.

"So where's your house?" Jessica asked.

"Just drop us off by Central Park please," I said. "Are the children."

"They're fine, even Diana isn't upset, which is what I'm surprised at," Jessica said. Her two Fingered left hand held the steering hand as she shifted with the right. "Are you sure you will be okay?"

"Yes our home is near there," I smiled behind my hood.

"Okay," Jessica drove over to where I instructed and stopped the car. As we got out, I thanked Jessica again. Fireworks were still being let off, and both girls turned as another one went off. My son's and I took that moment to disappear into the night. Jessica turned back, but we were gone.

"I wonder where they went," Jessica said.

"They were angels mummy," Diana said from her seat in the back. Turning back, Jessica gave her daughter a questioning look.

"What do you mean honey?"

"They liked us, they have only three fingers on their hands, like you only have two on the left," Diana insisted. "Plus they played with me, like I was their equal, like I was seven, instead of thinking I was four like people say."