Forever and Always

Sixteen Years Later

Sixteen years later...

Emily sighed to herself, as she locked up her flower shop.

It was a small store on 3rd street, but it brought in a lot of money for her and April. They needed it too. Emily was already out of college, as was April, but the elder cousin was the only one who had a job, she actually enjoyed. Today was an exception, though. It was the anniversary of the night of the fire, and when she set Splinter and the others free. Emily sighed, thinking about them made her heart hurt.

"I can't believe it's been so long" Heaving another sigh. "I hope that they are ok." The twenty-five year old woman dug into her pocket for her phone as she walked down the street. Dialing April's number, she only had to wait two rings, before she picked up. "Hey April"

"Hey Emily. What's up"

"Just calling to tell ya, that I'm gonna meet you at home." Emily smiled as she rounded the corner. "You... are... at home, right?" April did not say anything. "Come on, April. Just let it go."

" I can't!, I know what I saw was the mysterious vigilante!, I just have to prove it!" Emily laughed.

Emily noticed that she was being followed.

"Whatever you say, Ms. Head of Wall Street." April huffed.

"Don't patronize me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Emily sighed. "Just be home, before midnight this time, alright?"

" I'll try. See ya."

"Bye" Emily put her phone back in her pocket. A hand clamped around her mouth as she was pulled unto the alley. Emily screamed in surprise. Whirling out of the grip, she turned scared to see it was a thug. "What do you want?

The man smirked. "Oh, nothing really." He then pulled out a knife from his pocket. "Just want to have some fun." He then grabbed her face and place the blade on her cheek. "How about it, girl"

Emily then pushed the knife away from her and kicked him in the jewels. She watched him fall down and did the only she could do.

She ran.

Tearing out of the alley, Emily could hear the man's heavy footsteps pounding behind her. Her mind was ablaze.

'What do I do?, I can't go home and lead him to April.' Her teeth ground together. 'Like hell I'm letting him near her!'

Ducking down an alley, she looked around. It was a dead end. She considered climbing the fire escape. But that would leave as a cat in a tree. Emily then saw a manhole cover sat on the ground, before her. "Guess I'm going down." Lifting the steel covering, she had just recovered the ladder, when she heard the thug run into the alley.

Not bothering to wait, she slid down the ladder, missing the sewage. She ran to the left, not looking behind her, not wanting to. She could only pray that he doe's not get her.

"Oh god, Somebody help me!"

Splinter sighed to himself, as he wandered the tunnels of New York's sewer system. It was his morning walk, although this one was longer than the most. Today was the anniversary of the day that he and his sons had been set free. His eyes narrowed in thought.

"I wonder how is Emily doing. She must have grown into a fine young woman by now." Her smiling face appeared in his head. A smile formed on his face. "She might still be the same, as when she was a little girl."

He was snapped from his thoughts by a piercing scream. Turning around sharply, he followed the echoes. Running on all fours, he soon came to the spot. What he saw, horrified him.

A young woman was being beaten down by a man. Her body was covered with cuts and bruises as her clothes were torn up and she was covered in blood. Her bag was next to her, abandoned. She was slumped on the ground, begging him to stop.

"Now, for the main event." He then advanced on her with his pants down and was in the middle of lowering his boxers, but he did not get a chance to finish.

Snarling, Splinter leapt out of the shadows, latching his teeth into the man's shoulder. He screamed in pain, crumbling back. Going with it, Splinter flung him over his shoulder, feeling satisfaction surge through him, at the crack of the man's body made against the cobblestones. When he regained his feet, his eyes widened in terror at the sight of Splinter standing protectively over the young woman.

"Get lost." Splinter hissed. The man screamed again, tearing away. Snorting, the rat turned around to look at the young woman. She had passed out. Realizing, that the man could easily come back, Splinter picked up the female human. Cradling to his chest, and stared at her face.

"Why does she look familiar?" He wondered.

Dismissing the thought from his head, he ran back to his home, praying that he will make it in time.