The Real Ninja Turtles by LenniluvsBrian
Story Notes:
A side story for No Matter What.
The Real Ninja Turtles by LenniluvsBrian
Author's Notes:

This idea struck me late last night when I was going to bed, and absolutely refused to leave me alone today while I was at work. So soon as I'd found a moment, I sat down and began to write and this is the end result. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Only own Ellie, Hope, & story idea. Kevin, Jerald, Q., and anyone else BSB related. own themselves. TMNT was owned by Mirage Studios, but now belongs to Nickelodeon. Thank-you!

Five-year-old Elenore Richardson sat in her Ninja Turtle bedroom, playing with her Ninja Turtle action figures and her Barbies. The Turtles were in the middle of fighting Shredder off, in order to save Barbie and Kelly. Her favourite turtle – Raphael, of course – was the one doing most the shell kicking, with Leonardo by his side. Together she made the two of them rescue Barbie and Kelly, while Michelangelo and Donatello backed them up when needed.

“And don’t you ever come back!” She made Raphael shout at Shredder. “Or I’ll pierce your heart with my sai and make you eat it!”

She giggled some at that, finding it funny, unaware she was currently being watched. She was too into her little game.

The person watching the small girl in denim overalls, and a Chipmunks shirt, with her hair in pigtails, waited until she’d completed her rescue mission before speaking.

“Ellie.”

Elenore looked up in surprise. “Daddy!” She exclaimed. “What’re you doing here? I thoughts you an’ Kristin had a date?”

“We did,” Kevin nodded in response. “But we finished that about an hour ago. And since my date was finished, and Kristin had to work, I thought I’d see if my favourite girl would like to go somewhere with me.”

Elenore smiled, at hearing him call her his favourite girl. “Where we gonna go, Daddy?”

“It’s a surprise,” Kevin smiled in return. “Now, clean up your toys, and get your shoes on.”

“But they don’t wanna be cleaned up,” Elenore argued somewhat. “They wanna stay out and make sure Shredder stays away from Barbie and Kelly.”

“The turtles have finished their mission, Princess,” Kevin told her. “Now, they need a rest. The faster you clean up, the faster we can get to where we’re going.”

Elenore sighed heavily, but began to do as she’d been told.

“And don’t forget to bring your sai,” Kevin said mysteriously, as he turned and left the room. “I’ll be downstairs waiting.”

Her sai? Really? Where he was taking her, was going to allow her weapons? Okay, sure they weren’t real sai, but they were her absolute favourite things in the whole world – toy wise. Real person wise, her cousin Brian was number one in her eyes.

She quickly finished cleaning up and retrieved her sai from their perch, before heading on downstairs for her shoes.

Kevin grinned when he spotted his little girl coming down with he sai tucked into their holsters on the belt that had come with them. “Come along, little ninja.”

Elenore giggled, as she put her shoes on and did up the Velcro. She then followed him out to the car, and allowed him to put her into her car seat without causing a fuss.

“You should’ve borrowed A.J.’s yellow Lamborghini, Daddy,” she told him. “Then I could’ve rode up front with you.”

Kevin chuckled. “Lamborghini’s aren’t Daddy’s style, Kiddo.”

Elenore smirked, as he turned up 98degrees for her, and she began to sing along happily bobbing her head.

They drove for a while, and then finally pulled to a stop in a parking lot. Once the car was parked, Kevin got out and retrieved her from the backseat. He made sure to keep her in his arms once she was out of her seat, as he knew how she liked to run across parking lots. Luckily for him, cars so far seemed to have extremely good brakes.

“Where’re we Daddy?” Elenore questioned, as he carried her on into the building. “What is this place?”

“You’ll see, Baby,” Kevin assured her, as he handed a man at the door two tickets, then continued on in. he smiled as he saw her take in all the Ninja Turtles items that were being sold. “Would you like something, Ellie?”

“Yes, please!” Elenore exclaimed excitedly. Anything Ninja Turtles related had her excited!

Kevin chuckled and bought her a poster, hat, hoodie, belt, t-shirt, and yet another stuffed Ninja Turtle. She could never seem to have enough of those, and everyone who loved her knew it.

Soon enough, they were in their seats, Elenore now also sporting some cotton candy in her happy little hands. She’d no idea what was going on, but, hey, if her Daddy wanted to spoil her and buy her Ninja Turtles stuff, and cotton candy – then she was all for it!

Not too long after they’d taken their seats, than did the lights dim, and suddenly the Ninja Turtles appeared on the large floor in front of their seats.

Elenore let out a surprised and delighted scream upon seeing them. She’d never thought she’d get to actually see the Ninja Turtles! She leaned forward in her seat, still subconsciously stuffing cotton candy into her mouth. She was so into the show; she never even realized when her Daddy replaced the cotton candy with a hot dog.

Kevin shook his head at the little one next to him. He was highly amused by her reactions to everything. In fact, he was watching his little girl more than he was watching her favourite heroes in a half shell.

Once the show was over, Kevin scooped his little one up and began to carry her backstage for a meet and greet. He knew he was making one of Elenore’s dreams come true, and was very happy to be able to do so.

“Daddy! Daddy! Look!” Elenore shrieked excitedly. “It’s Raphael! Raphael is right there, Daddy!”

Kevin laughed as he set her down. “Go greet him, Baby,” he urged.

Elenore’s feet had barely touched the ground, and she was off and running towards her all-time favourite ninja turtle. “Raphael! Raphael!”

Raphael made a big show of crouching down and hugging her tight. He nodded patiently, as she began to babble about everything and anything – mostly about how she loved to pretend she was ninja like him.

All was going well, until a few teenagers came backstage, roughhousing with one another. “Hey lookit!” One yelled. “It’s them twits in green!”

Kevin eyed the teenagers warily, as they headed closer to where his baby stood with her favourite turtle. If them teenagers were going to do, what he figured they were going to do, he needed to get Elenore out of there and quick!

“Ellie, c’mon. Let’s go,” he urged eagerly.

“But Daddy, I wants a picture,” Elenore insisted, still hugging the turtle. “Nobody’s gonna believe me ‘less I gots a picture.”

“Baby, the turtles have to get back to the lair, before Master Splinter gets angry with them for being out of the shadows,” Kevin insisted. “C’mon now. You’ve met them. I’ll make sure everyone believes you.”

“But Daddy - ” Elenore began to protest, only to be interrupted by the teenagers.

“Yeah, go on Kid. You don’t want your picture with them. They ain’t even real,” the one boy spoke. “They’re just people in costumes.”

“They are so real!” Elenore argued, stamping her foot.

“Haha. Poor Runt’s been brainwashed,” another one laughed. “Let’s show her what we mean.”

“Let’s not and say you did,” Kevin remarked dryly. “Elenore, now.”

Elenore looked over at her Daddy confused, but feeling hurt. She wasn’t even being naughty, so why was he making her leave her heroes so soon?

“You kicks his butt Raphael!” Elenore ordered, looking up at her favourite turtle in red. “You’re ninja. You c’n do it.”

“Yeah, Raphael, come kick my butt,” the third boy smirked. “Or are you actually a chicken?”

Elenore looked up at the turtle expectantly, wondering why he wasn’t just shoving these mean boys back away from them already.

“Oh, frig this,” the first one commented. “This is why your damned turtle won’t attack nobody, Kid.”

Elenore watched in shocked horror, as the teenagers knocked Raphael’s head off, and he didn’t even do anything to stop it. She began screaming hysterically, and ran for Kevin upon seeing a human head poke out of the turtle shell.

“Dad-dyyy!” She wailed, turning and running for Kevin. “They killed Raphael!”

“We told yah he wasn’t real, Kid,” the teenagers laughed, as a few other kids began screaming and crying just as Elenore had. “None of them are.”

Kevin scooped Elenore up into is protective arms, and pressed her head into his shoulder. “I hope you gentlemen are happy you’ve made a bunch of little kids cry. Have you forgotten what it was like to believe in something? How dare you!”

“Hey, we best scat,” one boy said, after looking away during Kevin’s mini lecture. “Security’s coming!”

The three teenagers ran off quickly, playfully shoving one another as they did so.

Kevin sighed heavily as he carried Elenore back out to the car. So much for this day being special. Those boys had just squashed all the happiness he’d been trying to give his baby girl.

“Shh…. Ellie, it’s alright, Hunny,” he soothed, rocking her some, as she refused to let him put her in her car seat just yet.

“They’re nots real!” Elenore sobbed into his shoulder. “Raphael’s nots real!”

“Baby, I’m sure the real one’s out there somewhere,” Kevin stated, as he began to hum a little. He didn’t know what to do to calm her down. By the way she was sobbing, you’d had thought Lil’ Rok, her puppy, had been shot or something.

Elenore felt angry then, as she thought of something. “You lied to me!” She accused. “You told me they were real and they aren’t! You lied to me Daddy! After you telled me I was never allowed to lie!”

Kevin gave another heavy sighed. “Ellie, I didn’t lie….”

“I wants to go home to Uncle Jerry,” Elenore interrupted. “He’s never lied to me.”

Kevin shook his head, as she gently placed her into her car seat and buckled her up. Once she was good to go, he climbed into the driver’s seat, and began to the long trip home.

The whole way home, the only sounds that were heard, were the radio and Elenore’s quiet sobbing and sniffles. She couldn’t believe her heroes weren’t real. And what was even worse – her Daddy had lied to her all this time about them being real.

Once home, Elenore stormed into the house, with Kevin right behind her. She kicked her shoes off angrily, and stomped her way to the stairs.

“Hey, so how was the show?” Jerald asked unknowingly, smiling as he came out of the kitchen. “Did you get to meet the Ninja Turtles, Ellie?”

Elenore turned around and glared at her favourite Uncle angrily. “They aren’t real!” She screamed, ripping the Ninja Turtles hat off her head and throwing it down the stairs at him. “The Ninja Turtles aren’t real, and Daddy lied to me! I’m not gonna be a ninja anymore! I hate ninjas!”

With that, she ripped her ninja belt off, and threw it and her sai down at him as well. She then turned and ran the rest of the way up the stairs in tears, slamming her bedroom door shut behind her.

Jerald turned to look at Kevin in confusion, as they suddenly heard Elenore ripping her room apart and screaming about how the Turtles weren’t real.

“What happened?” Jerald demanded. “What the Hell happened to make my niece so upset? Why is she insisting that her favourite heroes aren’t real?”

Kevin shook his head sadly. “Some stupid teenaged boys ripped Raphael’s head off right in front of her. She didn’t believe them when they told her the Turtles weren’t real – not until Raphael’s head went flying, and a human head popped up out of the shell. They ruined a perfectly good day on purpose. She was the happiest I’d ever seen her, and they just went and ruined it all by crushing her dreams into shreds.”

“Those little jerks are more cruel than Shredder ever was,” Jerald growled, suddenly feeling angry himself. “But why is she insisting you lied to her? Lied to her about what?”

“About them being real,” Kevin answered. “I lied to her, when I told her they were real.”

Now it was Jerald’s turn to sigh. “So do we go up there and keep her from destroying her room? Because once we’ve fixed this, she’s going to regret killing all her Ninja Turtles stuff.”

“You’ve an idea as to how to fix this?” Kevin queried hopefully.

“Of course I do,” Jerald nodded; as he picked the hat and belt holding the sai, up off the floor. “It’s in my job description as favourite Uncle.”

~~~~~

It was a few weeks later, and still Elenore was in her funk over the Ninja Turtles disappointment. She’d been quite surly, and threw a fit anytime someone mentioned her green ex-heroes in a half shell.

Even her friends were getting frustrated, as they were so used to ninja games cheering her up. She’d always loved being Raphael, and now, they’d no idea what to play without upsetting her. They’d kept trying to get her to come play ninja games with them, but she insisted they weren’t real, so there was no point in playing them anymore. Her friends refused to believe her, and continued to play their ninja games anyway – though; it just wasn’t the same without their Raphael.


Elenore scowled as she watched her friends go off and play. She hadn’t played with them really since she found out the truth about the Turtles. All she’d done since then was sit by herself somewhere on the Orphanage playground, where her Daddy, cousin, and Uncles worked when they weren’t busy with Backstreet stuff.

“Hey, want some company?”

She glanced up, managing a weak smile when she saw Q standing there. “Hi…”

Q. sat next to her, pulling her into his lap and hugging her close, as he rested his chin upon her head. “So what’re you thinking about, pal?”

“About how Uncle Jerry telled me that the real Ninja Turtles live in New York,” she answered truthfully. “And how much money I’d need to get there to find them.”

“You’re not planning another run away attempt, are you?” Q. demanded gently. “Because if you are, I might just swat your behind myself.”

Elenore gave a small laugh. “You wouldn’t. You’re a teddy bear.”

“Then let me remind you, that you broke your arm during your last attempt of running away,” Q. pointed out, not disagreeing with her statement – they both knew she was right. He was too much of a teddy bear to actually swat her behind.

Elenore sighed. “Then what do you thinks I should do?”

“Maybe ask that crazy Uncle of yours, who told you this in the first place?” Q. suggested. “Maybe he’s just waiting for you to ask.”

“Maybe he’s just waitin’ for me to nots be so surly,” Elenore replied softly.

“Maybe,” Q. said, hugging her just a little tighter. He may be Kevin’s security guard, but he was more than that too. He was family. And he loved the little girl in his lap very much. “It doesn’t hurt to try.”

Elenore sat with him for a few minutes longer, then stood up, kissed his cheek, and headed on over to where her Uncle sat with his pregnant girlfriend, Hope.

“Uncle Jerry?” Elenore spoke softly, as she approached them.

“Yes, Hunny?” Jerald replied, looking up at her. This is the calmest she’d spoken – when she’d actually spoken – these past few weeks. “What would you like?”

Elenore sighed a little. “Will you takes me to New York City? Please?”

Jerald raised his eyebrows. “What brought this on?”

“You telled me the Ninja Turtles live in New York,” Elenore answered. “I wants to go to New York an’ find them. Please, Uncle Jerry? It’d mean lots to me.”

Jerald thought about this for a long moment. He should’ve seen this coming, really. He’d told her they lived in New York City, in order to try and restore her faith and belief in her heroes. Sure, they weren’t real, but she was young and entitled to believe in such things. It was her right as a child. But, alas, she had stayed strong, about not believing – until now.

“If you promise to be on your very best behaviour, Ellie,” he began. “I’ll see if I can convince Kevin to let me take you to New York.”

Elenore flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. “Thank-you!”

Jerald returned her hug, smiling softly. “You’re welcome, Princess.”

~~~~~

A few days later, Elenore stood on the streets of New York next to her all-toe, favourite Uncle. Somehow, by some miracle, he had convinced her Daddy to let them go Ninja Turtles hunting. Personally, she just thought her Daddy was happy she was talking to one of them again.

“So, where should we look first, Ellie?” Jerald asked, holding tightly to her hand. “Where do you think those crazy ninjas would be?”

“In the shadows, of course,” Elenore replied sounding amused, smirking up at her Uncle. “They’re ninjas, and that’s where ninjas need to be.”

“Right, silly me.”

“Yes, silly you.”

Jerald laughed, as they began to walk along the street that was in front of their hotel. “Just keep hold of my hand, alright? It’s a big city, and I don’t want to lose you.”

“Kay,” Elenore agreed readily. She had somehow managed to convince him she didn’t need to wear her backpack today, and was being trusted to obey the rules. “I’ll stay close.”

Jerald smiled as he listened to her shoes jingle, as she still had the bells on the laces. She loved to make noise with her shoes, so they had let her keeps the bells there. Besides, this made it just a little easier to keep track of the little five-year-old ninja.

They walked along for a while, finally stopping in front of an alleyway, as Jerald’s cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket one-handedly, refusing to let go of his niece unless absolutely necessary.

Elenore watched as her Uncle became engrossed in his phone conversation, and began to look around. New York sure was a pretty place to be, and she was glad she had convinced him to bring her. Sure, she’d been here before Christmas, but those were stressful times, and there wasn’t anytime to go sightseeing thank to all the Backstreet stuff that had to be crammed in.

It was while she was looking around that she noticed the manhole cover in the alleyway behind them move. She eyed it curiously, wondering if she was just seeing things. But maybe, just maybe…

She eyed her Uncle warily for a moment, and seeing that he had turned his back, she contemplated escaping. She didn’t want to make him angry and get her butt spanked, but what if the Ninja Turtles were actually in the alleyway behind her? But then, what if it was Shredder there instead? Well, she was willing to risk it…maybe…

Just then, someone began screaming as a baby stroller came flying down the hill across the street. Jerald didn’t even think twice as he told Elenore to stay put, and went running across the street to catch the stroller before it hit the street.

With her Uncle currently distracted – and for good reason - Elenore quietly slipped into the darkened alleyway. She glanced around nervously, and cautiously made her way to the manhole cover that was there. She sighed in disappointment when she saw that it was lying flat once more. Maybe her eyes had been playing tricks on her…

“Stupid Turtles,” she grouched. “I’m never gonna find Raphael now.”

“Hey Kid, why you lookin’ for this Raphael, fellow?” A gruff voice asked from the shadows.

Elenore froze, tensing slightly, as she glanced around nervously. “Whose there?”

“I ain’t gonna hurt yah, Kid,” the voice stated. “Now, answer my question.”

“Because he’s my hero and I wanna meet him,” she answered, sensing she could trust whoever was there. “Him and I got lots in common.”

“Like what?”

“We’re both hot-heads,” Elenore replied. “And trouble just seems to find us, no matter what we do. And we both got families who care and who’re there to help us out, whether we think we need them to help or not.”

“You lookin’ for anybody else?”

“Leonardo,” Elenore admitted softly.

“Leonardo? Why Leonardo?”

“Because he’s like my Joshy. He can save the day, even when he’s angry with you. And no matter how angry you gets with Leonardo, just like my Joshy, he still loves you anyway. Even if you drives him bonkers – hehe. Raphael and I gots that in common too. He drives Leonardo bonkers, like I drive my Joshy bonkers.”

She heard quiet laughter then, and it came from elsewhere in the alleyway, than where her hidden spectator was. She shrunk a little, looking around nervously. “There’s more of you?”

“Of course there is, Kid,” the gruff voice replied. “We’re brothers, and brothers stick together.”

Elenore cocked her head to the side. “Who are you?”

“Someone good,” was the reply, and a snort was heard from a little further away. “Shut-it over there.”

“Did you comes out of the sewers, or did I imagine that?”

“You tell me, Kid.”

Elenore watched, her eyes widening in surprise, when the very one she’d been looking for stepped out of the shadows. She went to scream, only to have a green three-fingered hand clamp down over her mouth.

“No screamin’, Kid,” the turtle in red instructed. “People might think we’re killin’ yah back here or somethan.”

Elenore freaked out quietly behind his hand, jumping in excitement as three more turtles stepped out from the shadows. She couldn’t believe it! She had found the Ninja Turtles!

But wait… She’d thought that once before, and had been wrong. What if she was wrong now too?

Soon as she was calm again, Raphael removed his hand from her mouth. He noticed her expression and frowned. “What’s wrong now?”

“Are you the real ones?” Elenore asked quietly, looking a little worried. “I thought I found you once before, but there was some dude underneath the shell! He was not my Raphael.”

Raphael crouched down then, casting a look at his brothers, before speaking again. “You tell me.”

Elenore silently poked him and pulled on him and even went and climbed onto his shell carefully to peer down behind it – though, she couldn’t really see anything. She slid off his shell, and walked around in front of him once more.

“Can I see in your mouth, please?”

Raphael looked a little frustrated, but opened his mouth and let her peek inside. “See? Teeth.”

Elenore’s whole face lit up then. “You are real!”

“Well, I’d sure hope so,” Raphael commented.

Elenore squealed a little, and threw her arms about his neck, hugging him tightly.

Raphael looked a bit awkward as he patted her back in response, but he suffered through it for the little girl currently latched onto him like glue.

Elenore glanced around at the others then, smiling even more, if at all possible.

“So, Ellie, you liking the Big Apple?” Michelangelo asked, smiling broadly at her.

“What’s the Big Apple?” Elenore questioned. “And how do you know my name?”

“He means New York,” Donatello piped up. “Big Apple is a nickname for it.”

“And we know you’re name, because we’ve been keeping an eye on you and your Uncle,” Leonardo said. “We knew you were coming.”

“How did you know I was coming?”

“We like to keep an eye on those pretending to be us,” Raphael told her. “They kept mentioning something about a little girl and her Uncle coming to find us.”

“You mean Uncle Jerry was going to trick me!?” Elenore demanded incredulously.

“Give him a break, Kiddo,” Michelangelo told her. “Your Uncle just wanted you to be happy. He wanted you to believe in us again. He wanted you to be a kid. Kid’s are supposed to believe in this kind of stuff.”

“Yeah, like Mikey here,” Raphael smirked. “He still believes in these weird kind of things.”

“So you’re really like you’re on T.V.?”

“Well, some of it’s true,” Donatello answered. “Like, Raph’s temper. That’s totally true. And Mikey does like to goof off and pester us sometimes – but he’s also a good fighter when he has to be, and we know we can count on him. It’s not always us saving him like they make it in the cartoons.”

“Does Leonardo always say the right thing likes my Joshy does?”

“He can,” Raphael told her. “Though, I don’t like to admit when he’s right.”

Elenore giggled. “We are so alike, Raphael. I hate it when Joshy’s right too.”

Raphael chuckled, ignoring Leonardo’s smirk. “Well, now that you have met us, what do you think?”

“I wants a picture,” Elenore insisted. “Please?”

The Turtles all eyed one another for a moment, not sure if they should give the little girl her one request or not.

“You have to promise you won’t show it to anyone, Ellie,” Leonardo stated firmly. “People can’t know about us. Yes, we do exist, and to an extent people believe – but under it all, they still believe that we’re not really, real. We need to keep it that way, in order to remain ninjas.”

“I ninja swear,” Elenore insisted earnestly. “I ninja swear nots to throw my sai down the stairs anymore either. I could’ve poked an eye out…. So Daddy says…”

Raphael couldn’t hide the smile that played across his face then. “You and I are definitely alike, Kid.”

Elenore giggled some. “I likes to think so. And cousin Brian tells me that all the time. He also telled me that us two hot-heads are headed for greatness, though I think you’re already great.”

She didn’t see the pointed look that Leonardo gave his brother in red.

“So, how about that picture, Squirt,” Raphael said, changing the subject swiftly.

“Yeah!” Elenore agreed readily, then paused a moment. “But, I don’ts have a camera.”

“You’re in luck,” Michelangelo grinned. “Because Donnie brought one, because he thought you’d probably want a picture.”

“I knew Donatello was the brains of the operation,” Elenore smirked. “Just likes my Kota.”

The Turtles all gathered around Elenore, Raphael letting her sit propped up on his one knee, for the photo. Donatello rigged it up and hurried back, as he’d put a timer on it. They all smiled at the camera, no one smiling bigger than Elenore herself though.

“Okay, now one with just us,” Raphael insisted, shoving Michelangelo out of the picture.

Leonardo moved away as Michelangelo stumbled and feigned a hurt look. Donatello took the photo of the two hotheads, both grinning widely.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Raphael motioned for Leonardo to get back in the photo. “This one is for that Joshy of yours, got it Kid?”

“You got it, Dude,” Elenore grinned, wrapping her arms around them both, as Leonardo crouched down next to them.

Donatello snapped this photo as well, shaking his head. He was amazed at how she’d managed to get Raphael of all turtles, to be nice to their brother in blue.

“How will I gets my pictures?” Elenore wanted to know, as Leonardo stood once more, leaving her and Raphael still down below.

“You’ll have them before you and your Uncle leave New York,” Donatello promised. “I ninja swear.”

Elenore giggled. “Just remember to be sneaky. Uncle Jerry can be very tricky.”

“Speaking of your Uncle, we’d best get you back to him before he realizes you’re gone,” Leonardo commented. “We don’t want you to get into any trouble, Kiddo.”

“No, we don’t,” Elenore agreed, her one hand sliding down to cover her bottom. “I’m surprised he didn’ts notice already.”

“Well, I think that runaway stroller has him a little pre-occupied,” Michelangelo pointed out. “But from what I can tell, he’s going to be remembering you any moment here.”

Elenore hugged them all tightly, hugging Raphael first and last. “I love you guys – er, turtles.”

“You’re a good Kid,” Raphael told her. “Keep it up. And remember, no throwing sai or hitting people, unless in self-defense. We don’t want anything happening to our little ninja.”

“I ninja swear I will try my best,” Elenore promised. “Buts nobody’s perfect, nots even Leonardo.”

Now it was Leonardo’s turn to smirk a little – he was glad someone else knew he too was allowed to make mistakes every now and again.

“Okay, git on back to where your Uncle left yah, Ellie,” Raphael ordered. “We’ll stay here an’ keep an’ eye on yah, until he gets back.”

“Kay,” Elenore nodded. “Thank-you, for comin’ out of the shadows for me. I’ll never forgets this.”

They watched as she headed on back to where she was supposed to have stayed, only to stop suddenly and look back at them again.

“What’s wrong?” Leonardo questioned.

“I gots another question,” Elenore replied. “Nicky says you’ve been around since he was four, and he’s not a teenager anymore…so how old would that makes you?”

“We’re old enough to know you’d best do as you’ve been told, before your Uncle gets worried,” Donatello answered. “Go on. I’ll get these pictures to you soon.”

Elenore flashed them one more smile, before hurrying on back to where she was supposed to have stayed. Little would her Uncle know what had really gone on, while he was playing hero.

Jerald finally managed to calm the panicked mother down, and suddenly remembered he’d left his niece across the street. Ellie! He quickly turned back to look where he had left her, and was relieved to see her still standing there, watching him curiously.

He hurried back across the street once it was safe, and hugged her close to him, grateful that for once she had stayed put. How could he have been so irresponsible as to leave her there alone for so long? Anyone could’ve up and grabbed her on him! And then his brother would’ve killed him!

Though, little did he know, that four protective ninjas had been keeping watch on her for him.

~~~~~

A few days later, Elenore and Jerald were packing up and getting ready to go to the airport to head back home. Jerald had kept his promise to her, and she had met the ‘Ninja Turtles’ – though, little did he know that she knew they were fake, as she’d met the real Ninja Turtles when he’d left her alone.

He’d gone into the bathroom to shower, after setting her up with a pay per view movie, and her Donald Duck. While he was in there, there was a knock at the window, of all places.

Elenore looked over at the window warily, her face lighting up when she spotted Donatello and Raphael dressed in blue overalls, plaid shirts, and painter’s hats. She giggled quietly as she went and unlocked the balcony door for them.

“You gots my pictures?” She asked hopefully.

“Yes, we do,” Donatello nodded. “I was going to come alone, but your hot-headed hero insisted on joining me.”

Elenore laughed. “Well, of course! Us hotheads are stubborn too!”

Donatello smiled as he handed her a manila envelope. “Here, hide this in your suitcase, Kiddo.”

Elenore hugged the envelope close to her momentarily, and then did as he had instructed and gently buried it into the bottom of her suitcase. There was no way she was going to let anyone find those photos!

“Thank-you,” she told him sincerely. “They mean lots to me.”

“We got something else for you too, Squirt,” Raphael piped up.

“Whatcha gets me?” Elenore asked eagerly, smiling up at him sweetly.

“A turtle com,” Raphael replied, crouching down to show it to her.

“Really?!” Elenore exclaimed quietly, knowing her Uncle just might be listening to her.

“Really,” Raphael nodded, handing it over to her. “Now, we can’t exactly come running all the way to Florida, but we can keep in touch.”

“How does it work?” Elenore questioned, as she held the turtle com in her hands as thought it were a fine piece of jewelry.

“You flip it open, like this,” Donatello began explaining, as he pulled his own out, to show her how it worked. “And this button will make our turtle coms beep, and one of us will answer you unless we’re sleeping or in the middle of a battle.”

“And I can sees you through these?” Elenore wanted to know.

“You most certainly can,” Raphael replied, pulling his out now and turning it on, and suddenly he appeared on her screen. “See?”

Elenore grinned big at that, and hugged them both, just as she heard the water from the shower stop running. “You should goes before my nosy Uncle catches you.”

Both Ninja Turtles hugged her, and swiftly and silently disappeared out onto the balcony.

Elenore closed and locked the balcony door once more, then ran back to the bed, just as she heard the bathroom door opening.

“Ellie?” Jerald called, as he peeked his head out, a towel wrapped around his waist. “You okay out there?”

“I’m good, Uncle Jerry,” Elenore replied. “Just watchin’ The Tom and Jerry movie.”

“Okay. Thank-you for being such a good girl during this trip,” he praised. “I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of me too,” she told him, causing him to laugh as he closed the door once more to get dried off and dressed.

She looked down at the turtle com in her hands and sighed in contentment. Her trip to New York had been her best vacation yet! Now she knew the truth about the Ninja Turtles – and she was even allowed to share the secret with her Joshy! Now, how to make him believe her story…. Oh, well. She’d find a way. Even if it meant begging the Turtles to come on down to Florida for a vacation in order to meet her Leonardo-esq cousin.



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