*takes a peek at the last update date* Yikes! If there's anyone still reading this, I'm so sorry.

This was actually the first fanfiction I ever started writing (something that's painfully obvious to me when I look at my old Author's notes, lol) and I've actually been out of the TMNT fandom for a while now.

However, I found my old flash drive and, when I was going through the documents, I found that I had written most of the next chapter. Chapter eight has been started. I don't want to get people's hopes up that there will be a regular update schedule or anything but maybe this isn't as abandoned as I thought it was.

I still would like to finish it. And I have vague memories about where this story was going.

We'll see what I can do.

And to anyone and everyone who's stuck with this story, thank you. Thank you so much.

April couldn't keep her eyes off the strange girl who'd just shown up at her back door. She was huddled on the couch, staring out into space.

April didn't bother speaking to her after hearing the story.

She wasn't sure the girl- Angel, she'd said her name was- would even hear her.

Casey had mentioned her before, so she wasn't a complete stranger in that sense. He knew the girl's grandmother… had promised to look out for her.

Something like that.

And then, rebelliously, almost predictably, she'd joined the Purple Dragons. Wasn't that what they all did? These troubled teens?

Casey had almost died trying to get her out of there. April would be lying if she said she harbored no resentment against the girl for involving Casey.

And now this…

She studied her, even as she reached for her phone, dialing the number that was practically ingrained in her memory, taking in the piercings, the purple hair.

Everything.

How old was this girl?

She didn't look like she was more than fifteen.

But she was putting on a performance, covering herself up in a hard, outer shell.

It would have been heartbreaking if she'd taken the time to ponder it.

"April?" Leo's calm yet cautious voice sounded in her ear.

"Leo?" April gasped in relief, clutching at the phone like it was a life-line.

"April, what's wrong?" He was concerned, but it hadn't escalated to alarm yet.

April took a deep breath, steadying her nerves.

"It's Casey. He's in trouble. The Purple Dragons…" Her voice trembled and she stopped.

"April?" Leo's voice calmed her, keeping her grounded, and she was grateful for that.

"It's Angel," she continued, her voice strong and without a hint of the tremor from before. She paused, unsure if Leo knew who Angel was, waiting for a hint of recognition from the other end of the phone.

"Angel?"

"She's here. Leo, she and Casey were attacked by the Purple Dragons on their way here!"

"What?" Leo breathed. "April, do you know where?"

Yes. Yes, she did.

Quickly, she rattled off the location Angel had told her.

"Leo…" she said, unable to completely keep the anxiety from her tone.

"Don't worry, April," Leo reassured her. "We'll get there."

With a click, the call ended, and April found herself turning to face Angel again.

Except… the girl was no longer there.

Raph knelt on the mat, hands resting on his thighs, as Master Splinter sat deliberately before him. It'd been ten minutes since he'd first entered the room upon being summoned there by Splinter and already he was itching to move.

Sitting still had never been one of his strong points.

Neither had waiting.

Both required the kind of patience that Raphael just didn't have and couldn't master.

Donnie maybe.

Leo most definitely.

But Raph?

Raph wasn't the kind of guy to sit around waiting.

He was the kind of guy to jump fist first into a fight and ask the questions later.

And all this waiting around was making him go a little stir crazy. He pursed his lips, impatience fighting to win out in the battle of his instincts, but he grit his teeth, forcing it down for the moment.

Raphael!" His master's voice, sharp and irritated, quickly cut through his thoughts.

Guiltily, Raph met Master Splinter's flaming gaze. "Er… yes?"

"Were you even listening to a word I said?"

No. Not really. But it wasn't like he could tell him that.

He opened his mouth, an excuse ready and at the tip of his tongue.

He never got a chance to say it.

They were interrupted.

"Master." Leo entered the dojo and knelt respectfully. "I am sorry to interrupt…"

"Rise, my son. Speak. What is it?"

Leo obeyed, rising from his knees.

"April. She called and said Casey's in trouble."

Raph's stomach flip-flopped.

"Okay," Casey panted, taking a shaky step back. "What do you think? Can we call it a draw?"

The Dragon cracked his knuckles and grinned.

"Guess that means 'no,'" Casey said, putting up his fists and preparing himself for a match he wasn't sure he could win.

At the very least, Angel would have made it to April's place. April would have alerted the turtles and, even now, they could be on their way.

Not that he needed the assist or anything, but, hey, he'd take a chance to kick shells with the turtles any day!

The Dragon lunged for him and Casey's eyes widened. He dodged back, feeling the man's fist pass mere inches away from his nose.

Hey, no biggie, he decided. He could keep going all day.

All. Freaking. Day.

Didn't matter what these losers threw at him. Casey Jones could handle…

"Oof!" Casey gasped, winded, when the Dragon's foot collided with his stomach, knocking him back.

He landed in a heap next to the alley wall and brought a hand up to feel the back of his skull.

Yeah. That was definitely going to leave a mark.

Didn't seem like he was going to have to worry about that though.

Casey's eyes widened as the Dragon launched himself into the air, preparing a killing blow.

No time to move out of the way.

Oh, crap. April was really going to kill him this time.

He cringed, bracing himself for the blow.

It never came.

A blur of green and red connected squarely with the Dragon. The man grunted in pain, tumbling to the pavement.

"Raph?" Casey gasped, surprised and struggling to sit up.

"Who else woulda been willing to come rescue yer ass?" Raph grinned, as he reached a hand down towards Casey.

Casey returned the grin, gripping the offered hand firmly and allowing himself to be helped to his feet. He hissed at the pain the movement caused.

"Where'd they get you?" Leo asked, suddenly at Casey's side.

Casey hissed in surprise. Where'd he come from?

Must be that whole ninja thing.

"Nnnn." Casey closed one eye and considered, going over a list of what parts of his body hurt and how badly. "Head," he finally said. "And the chest."

"Okay," Leo said, placing a steadying hand on Casey's back as the man started to sway. "We'll get you back to April's place."

"Just… just make sure we ain't being followed, 'kay? Wouldn't be nice if they… if they found April's place."

"Mikey and Donnie already have that under control," Leo soothed, looping Casey's arm around his neck. Raph did the same on his other side. "We won't be followed."

"'Cause Mikey is totally the guy to trust," Raph said sarcastically, rolling his eyes under the mask.

"Raph," Leo warned, giving his brother a look, before finally conceding, "I trust Don."

"Knew ya'd see reason, Fearless."

Casey tried to ignore the banter between the two brothers… and just how much it was making his damn head hurt.

"CASEY!"

Casey winced. Yeah, didn't look like that ache was going away anytime soon.

"Angel?" Both turtle brothers gasped at the same time, and, while there was shock in Raph's tone, he picked up on stern disapproval radiating from the elder brother.

"What are you doing here, Angel?" Leo asked.

Damn, Casey could almost hear the way Leo's eyes narrowed underneath his mask.

"Checking up," Angel answered. "Is he okay? The Dragons…"

"Didn't hurt him," Raph assured her. "Much," he amended. "Casey here really would've had his ass handed to him if we weren't here."

"Gee thanks, buddy," Casey growled. "Coulda made something up."

"She was askin' for the truth, bro." Raph grinned.

Angel looked from one to the other before her eyes rested on the fallen Dragon on the ground. "So you beat 'em?" she asked, relieved.

"More or less," Casey said, hobbling along.

Leo held him back. "Go easy," he said, "before you end up on your face again."

"Yeah, yeah." Casey waved him off. Or he would have had both arms not currently been occupied. "And…" he frowned at her, "wait a sec, you're supposed to be with April!"

"You asked me to leave you!" Angel cried. "I'll tell April for you, but I'm not gonna leave you to get killed!"

"Are you forgetting what I told your grandmother?" Casey demanded. "Damnit, Angel. I promised her…"

"And what if you're not around to make sure of that promise, huh? Am I supposed to just be okay with that?"

"Okay," Leo interjected, stepping between them quickly. "Clearly, this is not helpful." He shot a sharp look at both of them. "Why don't we take a step back and…"

Sensing that both of them were eager to interrupt, Leo spread his hands apart, giving them each a hard glare in turn.

We can finish discussing this later," he said firmly. "At April's."

Neither Casey nor Angel took their eyes off the other.

"Fine," they said.

Leo lowered his hands with a weary sigh.

"Good. I'm glad we got that figured out."