A/N: So, I am all moved into my apartment in a little college town and working my butt off like crazy to keep good grades. I know I have made promises in the past, and you've probably figured that I'm not very good at keeping them in a timely manner I'm so sorry! I do hope you stick around. I've got new inspiration for this and I hope it works out! Love you all!

Disclaimer: The only turtle I own is a small glass figurine

"So, Mikey hid for a whole week after that. None uh us could find duh twerp. An' he's lucky too. Donnie almost killed his cat cuz hee was so upset."

Brenna laughed. "He's sounds so cool!"

Raph chuckled. "He's a nutcase, but we love 'im."

Brenna smiled at him, and Raph cleared his throat. "Eat yer grub 'fore it gets cold."

Brenna huffed happily and took a bite of the foot-long piece of pizza that was sitting across her lap. She chewed a couple of times before talking around the mush in her mouth. "So, if you guys live, like, not above ground or where ever you're hideout is, how do you come out and find the best pizza place in NYC?"

Raph took a large bite of his own pizza before answering. "Well, we had to eat somehow. We were about fifteen before our Sensei let us come out of our home and see yer world. As for the best pizza place, that's Mikey's fault. I'm sure his veins are full uh cheese and pepperoni and pork rinds."

Brenna was silent for a moment as she considered his words, then she asked, "How about this view?"

Raph grunted. "I'm kinda dee expert at the solitary scenic views. My bros haven't even been up here wit me."

"Wow." Brenna breathed. "It really is beautiful." She rocked her legs back and forth, and Raph followed her gaze across the water.

They were sitting on the edge of the Freedom Tower* in Lower Manhattan, cranes, steel girders, and miscellaneous construction tools were scattered across the vast platform that currently served as the skyscrapers top floor at the moment. Donnie had been fascinated with the human's design of the new World Trade Center, and according to charts he had told his whole family about, the enormous building was barely over halfway complete. They sat on the west edge, gazing out across the Hudson River and into New Jersey. To their left, the Statue of Liberty sat on Liberty Island, lit and standing proud at the entrance into the NY harbor.

Brenna sighed, and Raph looked at her. Her dirty hair shifted with the mild breeze, and Raph saw a single tear trickle down her cheek.

"'Ey, wha's wrong B?" he asked as he shifted closer to her and set a hand on her shoulder.

She sniffed. "Where were you, when the planes hit?" she whispered.

"I was practicing with Leo, actually. We were in the dojo, it's our practice room, and Donnie comes runnin in like he'd seen a ghost. Leo knew sometin' was wrong, but Donnie was just, like, in shock. Den Mikey yells at us tuh come in duh livin' room. He and Sensei'd been watching TV, and dere it was on duh screen." Raph growled. "All dem people screaming and jumpin' from those tall stories, so dey wouldn' burn tuh death. Leo fell tuh his knees, and Mikey started crying. Donnie turned on his police scanner, and listenin to all the confusion and terror, it was duh one time in my entire life I wished I was human so I coulda done somethin'" Raph wiped angrily at his tearing eyes. "Jus' one person, Iif I coulda jus saved one person, I woulda given up my life for dat."

Brenna leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. He shook his head and cleared his throat, surprised that his emotions had gotten away from him so easily. "Why do yuh ask, B?"

Brenna was quiet and took several deep breaths before she answered. "Cuz my real dad died that day." She croaked.

"Wha?" Raph said quietly. He tried to pull her up to look at him, but she wrapped her arms around his shell and began to cry.

"He was a firefighter. My mom married James three years ago because we were gonna be homeless. He seemed nice at the time, but he lost his job and got violent and abusive."

"B, has yer momma gone to the police?"

"She can't. He's threatened to kidnap me and run."

It hit him like a brick wall. Rage suddenly flew through his veins, igniting his entire being on fire. He trembled with the long forgotten power of his signature weapon that had so often in the past been a hinderance in his training. This rage was somehow different. He shook with power, and he suddenly felt like he could defeat anyone or anything that would threaten the life of an innocent person. He had felt a similar rage on that fateful day ten years ago. Now though, instead of being forced to reign in his anger due to limitations, he could and would do anything it took to protect the fragile girl he now held in his arms. Raph stood then, pulling her up with him and jerked out his shell cell.

"Raph?" She asked shakily. Raph shook his head, trying to clear the red lining the edge of his vision and the dizziness gripping his stomach at the sudden torrent of emotion that had been so long absent. He felt more alive than he had in what felt like a lifetime. He shook with energy.

"'Ello?"

"Leo, it's Raph. Get yer shell outta bed and meet me at the west drainage point. This is urgent."

Leo sounded much more awake in reply. "Should I wake Mikey and Donnie?"

"No, but we're gonna need April and Casey to be up when we get there."

"Okay, see you in a few."

Leo hung up the line, and Raph felt another wave of emotion, this time, dare he realize, love and respect for his older brother. The one who had seemingly abandoned him was the one that had stood by his side and stubbornly seen through Raph's defenses. Raph let out a deep breath, somewhat calming his newly ignited nerves. The world around him suddenly felt more vibrant and alive. He looked up and laughed, before he realized that Brenna had backed away from him and was currently looking at him like he was insane. He rushed up to her and lifted her high in the air and spun her around. A cautious smile graced her lips, and brightened when Raph laughed. He soon set her down and enveloped her in a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair.

"For what?" she asked as he released her and began to pull the harness once again from his belt.

"For saving me."

Brenna just stared at him quizzically. He strapped her in once again and prepared to descend the building.

"Now it's time to return duh favor."