Hey everyone! This is BelatedBeliever 1127, presenting my first ever fanfic, My Little Girl! Reviews are appreciated! Seriously, I would love to hear your feedback. I do not own TMNT, just my OCs, as numerous they are in this chapter. Enjoy!

"Fuckin' Leo. Who the hell does he think he is?" Raphael muttered to himself, jumping off the ledge of a rooftop, landing neatly on the next and continuing his sprint across the dark expanse of New York City. He had lived the first fifteen years of his life under the streets of this incredible city and for the past five years, he and his brothers had been out here at night, protecting New York from mutants, aliens and all around bad guys, trying to restore some order to the world. For now though, he needed to get away from his brothers to get his head straight.

It was bitterly cold in the city tonight and the first flakes of snow drifted from the starless night to dust the city in white. The middle of February was not really the best time to be hanging out on the rooftops, but here he was. The hothead was taking a long walk to cool off, as his 'wise' and 'fearless' leader had suggested he do in the heat of one of their standard midweek arguments.

He had seen Donatello quietly close the door to his lab as Raph had stormed past to get his winter gear. Well, screw you too. Trembling with pent-up fury, Raph had pulled on the winter coat, pants and boots that April had gotten him and lumbered out of the lair without a backwards glance at Michelangelo, who had called for him to come had heard Leonardo telling Mikey to let him go, which made Raph grit his teeth in frustration and growl deep in his throat as he climbed the ladder that led to the surface.

Part of him hated fighting with his older brother, but the way Leo carried himself and considered himself better than the rest of them really set Raph on edge. It was good for Leo to be knocked down a peg occasionally. He really didn't remember what they had been fighting about, could have been anything really. They fought about… well just about everything really. From the way Leo led the team to how he managed Mikey's constant shenanigans.

Raph had been wandering the rooftops for hours. He hadn't really bothered to clean up any of the minor messes that he observed in the alleys. Not really anything that required him to bust any heads. He was still tense and really wanted an excuse to get into a fight. He finally settled for sitting on the edge of a roof, watching the snow fall over the city. If only every night could be as peaceful as this. He closed his eyes, playing with the thought of swinging by Casey's apartment for a cup of coffee. Maybe a shot or two. That might take the edge off.

He could hear voices coming from the alley below; several gruff male voices, one terrified female voice. That grabbed Raph's attention. He peered down over the ledge at the scene below. Aw, hell yeah. Muggers harassing a helpless woman… perfect. Just what I needed to let off some steam. There were five of them and they had arranged themselves in a crude semi-circle around a tall woman in light blue scrubs. Raph's first thought was that she would freeze to death in this weather without a coat. She was hugging an awkward bundle wrapped in a light grey blanket and was frantically looking around the group of thugs. A very short man was standing in front of her, holding out his hands in a mock gesture of amiability. Raph supposed that he was their leader. Clearly a 'B' team operation, he thought with a sniff of derision. He was about to run to the fire escape to break up the confrontation when a sharp exclamation stopped him short and brought him back to the edge.

"No!" The woman had turned and tried to run. A muscular thug with a blood red Mohawk grabbed her arm and swung her back around, making her face the group of thugs once again. He gripped her tightly and she struggled fiercely against him, still clutching the grey blanket to her chest with one arm.

"Wrong choice, bitch," sneered the Dwarf, "Now… you're going to lose a kidney." The Dwarf's hand flashed in a steely arc. The woman screamed as the knife was imbedded into her side, then was unceremoniously pulled away. The momentum of the knife sent a wide arc of blood flying against the wall and the dumpster. She sobbed as she sagged against the thug's grip, his grasp unrelenting, so all of the woman's weight was supported by her captive arm. The woman hung in her assailant's grasp for a few seconds before she struggled to regain her footing.

"I'll say it one more time. Hand it over, bitch," The dwarf sneered, pulling her up to within an inch of his smug face, "Or are you wanting to lose the other one too?"

"Go to hell." The woman spit in his face. She cried out as he backhanded her, her knees giving way once again.

"You heard the lady."

The thugs, as well as the woman, looked up at Raph as he spoke. He blocked the exit to the alley with this strong body, his sais drawn and at the ready. Raphael got into a fighting stance, ready for whatever may come his way. Rejects from the Purple Dragons' initiation… no contest, he thought to himself, almost disappointed… almost.

"Who the hell are you?" sneered the Dwarf. The other four guys gathered around him, armed with their guns and knives. The Mohawk was still holding the woman roughly by one arm, and she tenaciously kept her hold on the blanket with her good arm. Her eyes were wild with fear and pain as she gaped at him.

"Your one way ticket to Intensive Care. Who's up first?"

The Mohawk released the woman, who scrambled as far away from the group of glowering thugs as she possibly could. Raph looked over the ragtag group standing before him. Two of the goons, a tall, skeletal man and a short pudgy one, held handguns, and they were pretty sorry ones at that. The Mohawk got into a boxer's stance, ready for the first punch to be thrown. Raph smiled to himself. This was going to be easier than he thought.

"You just made the mistake of your life, asshole. Regret it while you still can." The Dwarf gripped a huge serrated hunting knife tightly, blood dripping from the sharp tip. Did he take that line out of one of Mikey's lame comics? Raph wanted to laugh at the absurdity of this little man who was pretending to be a major mobster, but first, he needed to focus on the job at hand.

First things first, disarm the gunmen. Before either of the two could bat an eye, a shuriken flew through the air and embedded itself in each man's gun hand. The Porker screeched shrilly as his gun clattered to the ground, blood running from the fresh wound. The Skeleton growled in pain, also losing his gun. Raph seized the opportunity and lunged toward the Skeleton, sais raised. The thug tugged the sharp instrument from his hand, letting it clatter to the ground, and began reaching for his gun. Raph reached him first, kicking him in the chest and sent him sprawling back on his ass. Raph flipped up the gun with the toe of his boot and sent it flying into the open dumpster.

The Porker had retrieved his gun and had raised it with quivering fingers, ready to shoot Raph in the back. Raph jumped up and flipped backward through the air, landing lightly behind the chubby man and kicked him in the back. The Porker stumbled under his bulk and tumbled unceremoniously to the ground, whimpering in pain. The gun skittered under the dumpster and Raph knew that he wouldn't go for it again. He spun on a dime and delivered a sound roundhouse kick to the side of the Mohawk's head, who had been approaching him on his blind side. The Mohawk went down with a roar. Now that he had taken care of that, Raph turned his back on the man's stupid haircut.

Now the loser with the chain. The thug who was holding the chain looked like he was about to shit his pants. Raph figured that he couldn't have been more than sixteen years old. New recruit, Raph thought as he stared the Kid down. His brown eyes widened in absolute terror and the chain clattered to the ground, utterly forgotten. Maybe this will put him back on the right path. He took a purposeful step toward the Kid. Raph had never seen a face lose color so fast in his life.

"Don't hurt me!" the Kid screamed hysterically, throwing himself on the ground and covering his head with his trembling hands. Raph looked down at him, almost feeling sorry for him… almost. Strong arms caught him from behind, pinning his upper arms to his sides. Raph threw a sharp elbow into the Mohawk's solar plexus, and as he doubled over, a large green fist made contact with his nose. Raph heard the satisfying snap of cartilage and the thug screamed in pain. Holding his broken nose, the Mohawk stumbled backwards. Raph leveled him with a solid punch to the side of the head. The thug fell heavily to the ground, blood pooling from his ruined nose.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" the Porker screamed deliriously, his bulk moving surprisingly fast as he sprinted down the alley.

"No!" the Dwarf hollered back, "We're all dead if we try to go back without the kid!"

"I'm not going to stay here and let myself get killed by Chuck Norris!" The Porker didn't even look back to impart his opinion on the leader. The Skeleton, supporting the bleeding Mohawk, shuffled toward the street and the Kid was tripping over his own feet trying to get away.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARDS!" The Dwarf screamed in rage as the four men disappeared into the night. Raph smirked as he spun one of his sais lazily in one hand.

"If I were you, I would follow your boys…make sure they make it home ok." The Dwarf growled with a feral growl and lunged at him, his large hunting knife extended. Raph deflected his attack easily, grabbed his wrist and pinned it behind the man's back. With a harsh jerk, Raph broke the man's wrist with a solid crack. The knife clattered to the ground and the alley was filled with the Dwarf's agonized scream.

"You broke my wrist, you asshole!" The Dwarf screeched indignantly. Raph shoved him roughly toward the street and the goon stumbled a few steps before rounding on his assailant, his eyes full of white hot rage at his humiliation.

"This isn't the last you've seen of me. I will find you and I will cut your balls off when a rusty saw, do you hear me?" Raph yawned and pretended to look bored. In actuality, this was funny as hell. The little man was trying to act and talk tough, but the tears brimming his eyes and the way he was cradling his wrist belied the façade. Hell, if he pissed himself right now, it would be a complete picture. The Dwarf backed out of the alley and sprinted in the same direction that his entourage had taken. Raph chuckled, shook his head and slid his sais back into his belt, concealed under his red coat. Raph rolled his shoulders and rotated his neck until he heard a couple of satisfying cracks.

Hehe, didn't even break a sweat. He saw a slight movement out of the corner of his eye and suddenly remembered why he had jumped into an alley full of street thugs in the first place. The woman was sitting on the far side of the dumpster, her back pressed against the wall. Her knees were pulled up toward her chest and her breathing seemed labored. Raph strode over to help her up, confident that his winter clothes could hide him enough and keep her from getting too freaked out. She stared up at him with a mixture of confusion and horror.

"Who are you?" the woman gasped, clutching the bundle closer and stared up at him with wild eyes. Raph held up his hands to show that he meant no harm.

"Take it easy lady, I'm not gonna hurt you," Raph bent down to take a better later look at her. She shrank back from him nervously, her eyes still filled with horror. She was middle aged, closer to fifty than forty. Her dark hair, streaked with grey, was untidily arranged into a bun and her large thick-lensed glasses were askew on her long pointed nose. Her long, pale hands were trembling as she clutched the blanket closer to her. Raph's eyes widened when he saw the amount of blood running down her left side. "Geez, lady… I need to get you out of here." He moved toward her to help the woman to her feet. The woman's eyes flashed with the feral intensity of an injured animal. She lashed out at him with her free hand and he leaned out of her reach.

"Get away from us!" She spat as she violently jerked backwards into the dumpster, gasping loudly as she did so. Raph paused, his hands still extended. Us?

"It's ok. You're hurt, I just wanna check you out." Raph kept his voice soft and low. He wanted to make himself look as nonthreatening as possible. The woman still eyed him suspiciously as his hands went toward the zipper at his throat.

Raph took off his coat and wadded it up. The woman's eyes widened in surprise at his naked torso, but no there was longer fear there. It was almost like a giant mutant turtle was something that she could understand, even more than a New York City Good Samaritan. He pressed the wadded up material into her bleeding side, causing her to hiss in pain.

"Sorry." He muttered, "I need to try to slow this bleeding, until we can get some help." He looked into her eyes again. The fear was gone, even most of the initial nerves had disappeared. In their place was… interest, even intrigue. She was studying him like Donnie would look over a piece of Kraang technology.

"Thank you…" She looked over his shell and plastron, "…turtle."

"No problem, lady. I'm gonna get you some help. Can you keep this pressed to your side?" The woman looked from him to the grey blanket that she held, and she seemed to come to a decision. She balanced the bundle carefully in her bloody hands and held it out to her strange savior. Raph glanced from it to her and back to the bundle, unsure of what to do. The woman leaned forward to push it into his hands, grunting in pain.

"Please…" she whispered brokenly, holding up the bundle to him. Raph took up the blood stained bundle in his arms. Whatever was wrapped in the blanket was relatively light, about ten, fifteen pounds. It was wriggling slightly. Raph hesitantly peeled back the thin grey cover and started with surprise. Inside the protective layer was a baby, fast asleep and flushed with cold. She looked to be about a year old, with dark brown hair and creamy brown skin. Raph looked up from the baby to look at the woman. Can't be her mom…

"Lady, what the…"

"You need to hide her… Take her far away from here. She-" the woman grimaced with pain, her speech broken by short, agonized breaths. "There are people… people who want to use her… as a weapon. I've been there… since she was born, I couldn't bear… to see that happen, so I… took her away. They- " she clutched her side, then looked up at him, suddenly terrified. "Is she hurt?" Raph opened the blanket again and looked the girl over. She had little pudgy arms and legs and tiny little fingers that unconsciously folded themselves into tiny fists. She was sleeping surprisingly sound; Raph wondered why she hadn't woken up from the cold or from the fight.

"Nah. She seems fine." Raph bundled her up again. "She's sleeping awful sound.."

"I had to give her… a sedative before… sneaking her out." The woman said quietly, "I didn't want her to… give us away." Raph frowned at her. Give you away to who?

"I sneaked her out… of Genetech, but… I forgot about the cameras," The woman continued, her teeth gritting fiercely in agony. "They were onto us… very quickly. I thought we could lose them… in the city, but they… have some thugs on their payroll… They found me… and jumped me. I couldn't let them… have her. Not again."

Her face was so pale. She had lost so much blood… she needed to go to a hospital. Raph reached for his T-Phone that was tucked into his belt.

"No." Raph paused, his hand at his belt, just centimeters from the phone. "No hospitals. They will… find us there and… take her back to the facility. She… can't go back there. I won't let that happen." The woman looked at him with pleading eyes as she said this. Raph sighed resignedly.

"Ok, then. I'm gonna call my brother, ok? He always patches us up when we get hurt." The woman hesitated, then nodded once. Raph pulled up his T-Phone and dialed Donatello's number. After two rings, he heard Donnie's curt reply.

"Donatello."

"Donnie? It's Raph."

"Raph?! Where the hell have you been?"

"Just out. Listen…."

"No, you listen. We've been looking for you for hours! Next time you leave the lair in a huff…"

"Donnie! Just shut up a minute, alright? I saved this lady from some thugs, but she got stabbed. She's bleeding a lot and she won't let me call a hospital. I need your help with this. "

Donnie was silent for a few seconds.

"I'm on my way. Where are you?"

Raph told him the location of the alley.

"We will be there as soon as we can. I'll get Mikey to grab my med kit. Shouldn't be more than ten minutes. Hang in there, Raph."

Raph hung up the phone and looked back at the woman. "He's on his way. Just… stay awake for me, ok?"

She smiled sadly, hot tears running down her cheeks. "I'll try." She pushed the bloodstained jacket closer into her side, closing her eyes tightly against the pain.

Raph stood awkwardly, still holding the bundle close to his plastron. A gust of wind blustered through the alley and Raph was suddenly conscious of the fact that he had used his coat to staunch the bleeding. God, it's cold out here… He really wished Donnie would hurry with that med kit. He had no idea what he was doing. And the kid… Raph was really lost when it came to what to do with the kid. He wasn't even sure if he was holding it right.

"So… what's Raph short for?" The soft question brought Raph out of his deep thought and he looked back into her tired face. She was still studying him with profound interest and Raph turned back to face her.

"Raphael."

"Raphael." She smiled softly, "I like that name. Do you… only have one brother?"

"Nah. I've got three brothers, and my dad."

"What are they like? Are they… like you?"

"My brothers are turtles too, if that's what you're asking."

"Can you… tell me about them?"

"My older brother, Leo, can be a real pain in the ass, but he's a good leader. He's gotten us through situations where I didn't think that we would get out of alive. He's kind of a dork, but has good instincts. Donnie is our resident geek. He's just a little younger than me. He makes our home livable and fixes us up when we get sick or hurt. Mikey, the little knucklehead, loves to pull pranks, laugh and make everyone's day a little brighter. He's the baby, so he basically gets whatever he wants. My dad is a rat. He took us in when we were little. He raised us and taught us everything we know."

"Especially karate." The woman said with a small grin.

Raph smiled, amused by the generalization. "Ninjitsu. I'm a ninja," he corrected gently.

"Huh… a ninja turtle… now I've seen everything." She smiled wonderingly. She looked up at him with sad eyes. "I envy you, Raphael. Your family… sounds wonderful. I'm sure that… they love you very much," She sat still for a moment, deep in reflection, "I never really had a family… and I've always wanted children. I got so focused on my career, and… it just passed me by," she admitted forlornly, "which is… probably why I… took such a liking… to Emma."

"Is that her name?"

"Yes. On paper, she… was known by a number code: GE0932. I… wanted her to feel more… human…" The woman's voice trailed off and she wiped her eyes with her free hand. Raph wasn't sure what to make of this information, so he pushed it aside for now.

"That's a pretty name. I think she should keep it."

Raph turned his back toward the chilling wind, trying to keep the cold from hitting the kid too much. The woman suddenly looked up, her face set as stone with a serious expression. Her deep blue eyes met his bright green ones with an earnestness that made Raph pay attention.

"Promise me…" She looked Raph full in the face, pleading him for an answer, "Raphael, promise that you… will make sure that she lives… and has a family… that loves her… and will take care of her." Raph felt his throat tighten in fear and grief. This woman was dying, and all she could think about was the safety of the little girl. Even though giving her to a complete stranger was her only option, especially a mutant stranger, she trusted him with this responsibility. She needed comfort and reassurance, and she was looking to him. He choked slightly as he gave his answer.

"I p-promise. I'll look after her and do everything I c-can for her. "

"Thank you." Raph had never seen a greater expression of relief on a person's face. The woman's face, if possible, lost ten years of strain in that moment.

"D-Donnie will be here soon… He- He'll fix you up and y-you can give her all of that stuff yourself," he stammered desperately, "D-Don't give up. It's going to be ok." Raph couldn't remember feeling so desperate. He couldn't handle this… She's got to be ok. She just has to be…

The woman leaned back heavily against the dumpster. Her eyes drooped, and she gave a soft sigh of fatigue. Raph thought she had passed out. It shouldn't be more than a couple more minutes, then Donnie can take over. Raph shook her gently, trying to get her to open her eyes.

"Come on, lady, ya gotta stay awake," There wasn't any response. "Lady?" The woman didn't stir. He shook her a little harder and she slumped heavily to one side. Frantically, Raph put his fingers to her throat, trying to find a pulse. There was nothing. No breath. No pulse. No life. He closed his eyes. Oh my God. She's dead… How he have let this happen? His breath came thickly in heavy clouds of fog as he stared down at the large puddle of blood that had pooled down and around her leg. Even though they had been keeping pressure on her wound, she had bled out anyway. Now she was gone… and he didn't even know her name.

Raph spied the glint of a laminated ID card pinned to the pocket of the flimsy scrubs that she wore. He pulled the card off, straightened himself and scrutinized the identifying picture. She looked about ten years younger in the photo. Her hair was styled neatly, with less grey streaked in it. The large glasses were positioned perfectly on her nose and her kind face was lined with laugh lines and a genial smile. His eyes left the picture and settled on the bold name under the picture. Miriam Verona CPN. Huh… Miriam. It suits her. He felt slightly guilty as he remembered that he had not gotten her name when she had asked him for his. At the very bottom of the card was a company logo. A DNA strand, half red and half purple, and next to it was printed: Genetech Laboratories. He stuffed the card into the pocket of his pants and made a mental note to ask Donnie about this company. About who they are and why they would be willing to kill an innocent woman in order to get their hands on a baby.

I'm so sorry, Miriam… Raph backed up to the opposite wall of the alley and slid to his seat. He buried his face in the blanket, holding back tears of shame and sadness. He felt movement inside the bundle and pushed back the layers to peer inside the blanket. The baby was trying to wake up and Raph could see groggy green eyes blinking up at him from inside the protective covering. Her hair curled tightly and stuck up in random directions all around her head. Her skin was a creamy cappuccino color, like those hot, frothy drinks that Donnie would ask April to bring him from Starbucks from time to time. Her cheeks were a soft pink from the cold and she shivered violently as the chill hit her sensitive skin. He smiled indulgently and ran a finger over her chubby face. She struggled against the folds of the blanket weakly.

"Hey little girl." Raph whispered down at the sleepy face. "I don't know how much of this you can understand yet, but somehow… I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do with you. I can't keep you… you don't belong with someone like me. You belong somewhere, with a mom and a dad who are going to love you and give you a good home. I can't give you that… I don't even know anything about kids! You're in some kind of trouble, and it must be real bad if Miriam was willing to die to save you. I… I just don't know what to do." He sat there, shaking his head in confusion and despair.

Emma started to cry softly from the discomfort of the cold and the confining wrappings that she found herself in. Distracted from his thoughts, he turned his attention back to her. His mind frantically searched for the best way to comfort her. He rocked her back and forth, quietly singing a Japanese lullaby that Master Splinter had sung to the four turtle brothers when they were little small.

"Nen-nen yo okororiyo suya-suya to oyasuminasai"

Emma's crying faltered slowly, changed into a whimper.

"Nen-nen yo okororiyo yasashi hito ni sodachimasu you ni"

The whimper itself stopped and she stared up at him with those bleary eyes.

"Kami-sama arigatou, enjeru mo arigatou"

The baby managed to work her chubby arms free from the blanket and she reached up to him, grunting slightly. Raph, supporting her in his dominant arm, reached up and brushed the tips of his fingers across her small fingers. She grasped and held tenaciously to one of his thick, calloused fingers.

"Nen-nen yo okororiyo papa no mune de oyasuminasai"

Emma yawned and Raph's face softened as her large eyes slid shut once more. He gently covered her face again and tucked her arms neatly back inside the blanket. He nestled her protectively against his plastron, his head tucked in to shield her against the cold. Emma unconsciously snuggled closer and whimpered pitifully. They sat like that for what seemed like hours, the cold wind unrelenting in its bluster.

Raph heard the rumble of the Shellraiser before he saw it, then the hiss of the brakes and the soft 'ding' as the doors slid open and the footsteps of Donatello and Michelangelo as they jumped out. Both brothers were bundled up tightly against the bitter cold. Raph looked up absently as Donnie ran over to Miriam, dropped to his knees and started checking for her vital signs. Mikey hurried over to Raph and squatted down next to him. The vacant look in his brother's eyes terrified the youngest turtle.

"You ok, bro?" Mikey laid his hand on Raph's shell and stared at him with large, concerned blue eyes.

Raph nodded absently, focusing on Donnie, hoping against hope that he could revive the poor woman. He held the little girl against his chest, trying to keep her warm, though it was difficult to do in this weather. Especially since his coat was lying a foot away, soaked with Miriam's blood. The snow was falling more heavily now, coming down in large, distinct flakes. Mikey rubbed Raph's shell, trying to comfort as well as share some warmth with his big brother. Raph barely seemed to notice. Several minutes passed and the only sounds that can be heard were those of Donnie attempting to resuscitate Miriam. Finally, Donnie sat back on his heels and passed a hand over his eyes.

"Donnie?" Mikey asked, concerned by his brother's posture.

"She's dead. We didn't make it in time." Donnie's voice was subdued. "Shit…"

Mikey bowed his head in reverence while Raph stoically stared at the side of the dumpster. He was too numb from shock to feel his usual outrage at the injustice of it all. There would be time for that later. He took a deep breath and looked back down at the bundle in his arms. Mikey glanced down too.

"What's the blanket for, Raph?" Mikey inquired, his eyes flickering curiously over the grey folds of cloth.

Rather than answering, Raph pulled back the flap to reveal the baby's face. Mikey's eyes went wide and a big, silly grin spread across his face.

"Dude, it's a baby!" Mikey cried excitedly.

"What?" Donnie looked up from his med kit, puzzled.

"Raph's got a baby, Donnie! Can I hold it, Raph?"

"Her." Raph corrected vaguely.

"Can I hold her, Raph? Please, oh, please, oh PLEASE!?" Mikey pled, his large fingers intertwined in a begging gesture. Raph smiled sadly and handed Emma to his little brother. Mikey cradled her in his muscular arms and smiled brightly into her sleeping face. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest baby in the world? Yes, you are. Oh yes, you are." Mikey cooed at the sleeping girl.

Donnie rolled his eyes and finished packing up his gear. He rose to his feet and turned to meet the eyes of his immediate older brother, trying to read the expression in those bright green eyes. Those eyes, usually so fiery and intense were dull and full of sadness. Glancing over him, Raph didn't appear to be injured. He had maybe a scratch or two, but Donatello surmised that most of the blood he saw on his brother didn't belong to him.

"Care to explain what happened here, Raph?" Donnie asked, one eye ridge raised in perplexity.

Raph sighed wearily, "If it's all the same to you, Donnie, I'd like to do it when we are all back in the lair. Where's Fearless?"

"Right here." Leonardo jumped down from the fire escape over his brothers' heads. He landed lightly next to Donnie and put his hand on the genius' shoulder. He was as heavily bundled up as his brothers, wearing a blue parka, the hood pulled up over his green head, and heavy black pants. Leo looked sadly at the dead woman for a few moments before turning his attention back on his brother's anguished face. "What happened, Raph?" Leo was trying his best to keep his tone from being accusatory, just in case that would set Raph off again. Raph, however, didn't seem to notice, or care. He just pursed his lips and shivered against the cold.

"We need to take the baby back to the lair, Leo." Donnie stated matter-of-factly. Leo's eyes were drawn from Raph's face and settled on Donnie's. Raph was a little relieved that he didn't have to explain anymore right now. "It's twelve degrees out here, and I don't want to risk losing the baby too."

Raph winced. Leo saw noticed the involuntary action, but didn't draw any attention to it. He just nodded somberly. He watched as Mikey bounded back over to his red masked brother's side, clutching the little grey bundle close to his heavy orange coat.

"Hey Raph, what's her name, dude?" Raph looked up slowly at his baby brother's animated face.

"Emma…," Raph stated hoarsely, "Her name is Emma."

"Ok, Emma! You're coming home with me! I can't wait to show you my room, Ice Cream Kitty, Master Splinter, my comics, the dojo…" Mikey chattered excitedly as he walked toward the Shellraiser. Leo pulled Donnie aside and started whispering muted instructions in his ear. Raph stared dumbly into his bloody hands. The events of the evening plus the intense cold had sent his system into shock. Donnie nodded and removed his purple down coat, gently draping it over Raph's shoulders. He shivered as the sharp chill hit his own skin and rubbed his arms intensely, trying to bring some warmth back into them.

Mikey rocked Emma and continued his sappy baby talk as he stepped up into the Shellraiser, while Donnie dialed on his T-Phone, anonymously calling the police to report Miriam's murder. Raph barely registered Leo's hand under his elbow, gently supporting him as he got to his feet.

"It's time to go, Raph. There's nothing more that we can do here." Raph nodded dully and allowed himself to be led to the Shellraiser. Leo escorted him to his seat and made sure that he was secured before getting behind the wheel, just as Donnie pulled the door shut and climbed up into his own seat. As the Shellraiser pulled out of the alley, Raph buried his head in his hands. What the hell am I going to do now?

Yay! The first chapter is done! I went back through and corrected some of my mistakes. Sorry if I didn't catch all of them… I hope that this concept isn't too cliché, but I am hoping to put more of a spin on it to make the whole 'Raph finds a baby' idea more original.

Thanks for reading! Hope your enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!