My word I am so sorry that I have left it so long to update. Thank you all for waiting patiently and prodding me to update. I really hope you enjoy the chapter and I will try my hardest to make the updates more frequent.
Disclaimer : I hold no rights to TMNT or Twilight

I cautiously move to sit on the bed, keeping my eyes fixed on the rat as I lower myself to the mattress, my body angled to face him.

"I'm sorry, but how do I address you? I'm not quite sure what the proper..." I trail off. In all of my years, I have never been unsure as to what to call someone, what with all the cultures I have come into contact with.

"Master Splinter will do just fine" He pauses with the spoon half way to his mouth to answer me, before continuing the movement and bringing the spoon to his mouth. We sit in silence for a while, giving me the chance to study the room again. It still amazes me how much they have managed to do with such little space.

"Impressive, isn't it?" I am startled by the sudden noise, and I twist back around to see that Master Splinter has set the bowl and spoon aside, and is now cradling the glass of water between his paws.

"Very. In all of my years I have never seen anything quite like your home" I tell him. He smiles gently, leaning back into the pillows slightly.

"You'd be surprised at what is hiding just beneath the surface of this world, Doctor Cullen. One only has to look hard enough"

"Master Splinter, if I might ask" I pause, waiting for him to nod before continuing "How have you kept yourselves hidden for so long?"

"My sons and daughter work very hard to maintain our home and its defences. We do what we can to keep our existence secret. Of course, that doesn't mean that we haven't be discovered. There have been times when we have been forced to reveal ourselves. Like now, for instance" He coughs slightly, moving an arm to wrap around his middle. I lean forward slightly, beginning to extend my hand only to drop it when he shakes his head slightly. "I am fine, it is only a cough" He says, wheezing slightly.

"I'm surprised that they turned to my family" I admit, bowing my head slightly "We haven't exactly given you much cause to trust us"

"Make no mistake, Doctor Cullen, this...trust that my children have in the agreement that they have made with you is based solely on the grounds that they know who they can and cannot trust. This is not that first time that we have been forced to ally with others we cannot trust for the sake of our own" He explains, his tone casual and relaxed.

"I am afraid that not all of my family will agree to the terms" I confide in him, noticing how his muscles tense as my words and continuing "My youngest son, Edward, will want to have contact with Bella. If I am honest, we all would, however we understand that that is not possible"

Master splinter sighs, taking a small sip from the glass in his hands before setting it down on the tray placed not too far away. He braces his weight on his hands, shifting his body into a more upright position before settling back once more.

"I have a limited amount of control over my children, Doctor Cullen, as I am sure you know that there comes a time when you must let them make their own decisions. I played no part in the decision to make an agreement with your family. If Bella has made the choice to have no further contact with you and your family, then I have no option but to respect that. I suggest that you remind yourselves that though she may be young in your eyes, she still has the right to make her own choices" His voice is stern but lacking bite. Not quite a warning, more of reprimand.

I take a moment to consider his words, shifting my position slightly and glancing at the monitor displaying his vital signs. They had not changed.

"I am sorry for the trouble we have caused you, Master Splinter." My tone in sincere and earnest, conveying the honesty behind my words.

"Apologies are only worth something if they are used to prevent further misdeeds" He replies with equal levels of sincerity. The way he says it makes me think that he knows and understands the true meaning behind his words, and I nod to show that I understand.

We remain silent for an extended amount of time, and I use it to test my senses. My hearing is dulled, to the point that I cannot hear much outside of this room. I can hear the faint whirring of machinery from the outside the room, coming from what I assume if the workstation I passed on my way here. I can smell a trace of the sewer outside, but considering our proximity it is surprising how clear the air is of its scent. My eyesight is dulled considerably, but it is not as noticeable as it was when I first took the solution. My body feels slightly warm, and my skin is more pliable than it was previously. What impresses me the most is the complete lack of thirst. Out of my family I have the best handle on my needs and urges, but this is truly remarkable. My throat is completely...normal I suppose is the only way to describe it. There is no thirst at all.

"My son Donatello has one of the most remarkable scientific minds this world has ever seen" I am jolted out of my thoughts by Master Splinters words. It's only now that I realise that I had wrapped my hand lightly around my throat and was stroking it with my thumb. "I often wonder where he developed such a thirst for knowledge of mechanics and science, as I have little to offer in that area"

"I've searched the world for something like this. Anything that would make us appear more human, and your son managed to create it in a matter of weeks..." I trail off, running my fingertips over my skin once again.

"Donatello could do a lot more if he had access to more equipment. Its a shame that such an incredible mind is confined to the underground." Master Splinter sighs, but there is a small smile on his face which suggests to me that his son isn't quite as confined to the sewers as he would have me believe.

"Tell me about your other sons. Leonardo, Raphael and... Michaelangelo" I am curious about their family dynamic. They are a family, and it is very clear that they all love each other, but I am confused about their chain of command.

"I am afraid that it is not my place to tell you. If they wish for you to know them, they will tell you what you need to know themselves. My sons are very private people. I'm sure you can respect th-" He cuts off suddenly, leaning forward to cough into his hands. I wait a few moments, to see it it would subside as it did before. When it continues, I stand and move closer to his side, placing my hand where his spine begins to curve and applying gentle pressure, whilst my other hand braces the front of his chest and guides him, straightening his posture and opening his airways slightly. After a few moments the coughing subsides, and I reach across him to take hold of the glass of water, bring the rim to his lips and encouraging him to take small sips.

Its then that I hear movement from outside the room. I can hear raises voices, and I realise that Bella and the others have returned from retrieving 'April' and the antibiotics. I look back at Master Splinter, making eye contact with him and moving away when he raises his paw a few moments later.

The others are getting louder now, and I can hear footsteps coming this way. Donatello is the first to enter the room, followed by a red haired woman. Donatello heads to the corner of the room where a small work station has been set up, rooting around in his bag as he moves things off of the table top to make room for a series of containers. The red haired woman moves towards the bed, but stops when she sees me standing by the bedside.

"It is alright, Miss O'Neil. Doctor Cullen will do you no harm." Master Splinter soothes her, gesturing forward slightly as I move away from the bed to put more space between the two of us. She looks between the two of us several times before squaring her shoulders and walking to his side, taking his paw in her hand.

"How are you Mat-" My attention is drawn away from their conversation by the shouting going on outside of the room, just beyond the doorway.

"For gods sake Raph, just let me ta-" Bella's voice is cut off suddenly.

"I am not being treated in the same room as the bloodsucker!" a voice, that I assume to be Raphael, roars. I notice Donatello flinch in the corner of the room before continuing with sorting out the boxes.

The sound of struggling follows the outburst. Michaelangelo and Leonardo enter the room, each holding onto on of Raphaels arms and pulling him forward. Bella follows them in, darting around them to bring a chair forward and pushing it towards the three. They push Raphael into the chair, holding him down by the shoulders. Its then that I see the gash across his shoulder. From here I can see that it is reasonably deep, in need of cleaning and stitching before being dressed. I glance at Bella quickly, seeing that she is collecting everything needed to do just that. I move slightly, intending to help her gather the things she needs but a growl stops me.

"Don't even think about it" Raphael glares at me, ceasing his struggling to properly focus on me.

"That's enough Raph" Leonardo says, glancing at me with an unreadable expression before glancing away again. "You're disturbing Master Splinter" He adds when he sees Raphael is about to make another comment, effectively stopping any further protests.

Bella is now laying out her supplies by Raphaels feet, preparing to disinfect the area and numb the skin. "I'll be as quick as I can Raph, but I need you to stay still." She taps the syringe, removing any air bubbles as she moves into a standing position, disinfecting the area around the cut before injecting the anaesthetic. Her movements are practised and confident, sliding the needle out of the skin once everything had been injected and placing it on a tray not too far away to be dealt with later.

"Bella, you're bleeding" Leo says, catching her hand before she can pick up the needle and sutures. Michaelangelo seems to become paler, eyes widening as he gasps slightly. Raphael tenses, straining his neck to see as Donatello abandons his work station to comes over.

"Its just the cut I made earlier. It opened up during the fight and I haven't had time to bandage it. All it needs is a plaster, I'm fine" Bella tells them, gently taking her wrist from Leonardos grasp and picking up the needle. "It's just a scratch"

"Bella, do you want me to..." I trial off when she shakes her head and begins to stitch the wound, taking her time.

"Not necessary" She tells me, keeping her eyes fixed on the task at hand. "This'll go much quicker if I do it" She doesn't need to explain why.

"April, are these the antibiotics from the hospital or from the vets?" Donatello interjects, having returned to his workstation.

"From the hospital. Casey is bringing the ones from the vets over from my apartment. I figured it would be of more use to you to start adapting the ones from the hospital" April explains, patting Master Splinters hand quickly and making her way over to Donatello.

"You're right. I'll need someone to call LH and have him come over here. Bella, I'll need you to take a blood sample from Master Splinter" Donatello says as he begins to select solutions and prepare Petri dishes.

"I can't take too much Donnie. His blood is already thin enough and there's only so much that central heating and blankets can do for him" Bella replies, finishing off stitching the wound and preparing to tie off the end, dabbing away the remaining blood.

"As much as you can. I need enough to be able to divide it between several samples. I think we still have some frozen but fresh would be better if we can"

I stand back and watch as they talk, noticing the others in the room doing the same. They all know their place in the system. Though its obvious that when it comes to the higher decisions, Leonardo holds the most authority, Donatello and Bella hold the expertise in this field so he had no choice but to trust their judgement.

"Guys" He interjects, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Tell us what you need us to do and we'll do it"

Donnie and Bella look at each other, nodding slightly before turning to address the room at large.

"Well..."

I hope you enjoyed it, and once again, I'm sorry I have left it so long between updates.
Pingu xx