DISCLAIMER: Well, this is it, the last update for Reflected Reality. Before we talk about who owns who, here are a few heartfelt sentiments from two very tired writers.

RAMICA Thanks to all our readers who worked their way through this epic story that grew way out of proportions to what both author's were planning.

Thank you to the many readers who reviewed either occasionally or on a regular basis, you know who you are. It is greatly appreciated, especially helped us when offering not only the praise but the constructive criticism or pointing out flaws that the two authors somehow missed. You helped make this story what it is.

Big thanks to my co-author Reinbeauchaser, for so many numerous things. Writing with her has been a pleasure, and I have told her she can borrow Rama, to which Rama is all too agreeable. This story would not be what it is if it hadn't been for her help.

REINBEAUCHASER: I would like to take this moment to thank Ramica for being so willing to co-write with me. At this point, I can't even remember who was first to present the idea about sending Ramiela into Gabby's world. Personally, I think we both came up with the notion of writing such a story at about the same time. Interesting how great minds work alike, eh? LOL Ramica's creativity knew no bounds. Whenever I would hit that proverbial wall, she was there with a storyline. Sometimes, many times, she would just take over the chapters, allowing me to add my 2-cents worth to the story and augment to my hearts content. She even put up with my obsessive-perfectionist tendencies, too. Ramica is a most generous lady, by far.

Anyway, I would especially like to thank everyone who read, whether you left a review or not. Your input and critique, as well as pointing out areas that conflicted or created a plot hole, was indispensable. Where we could, we made changes all because of the literary eagle-eyes that favored us with their participation. Thanks, one and all.

This last instalment is over ten thousand words, a rather long read, but one we feel ties things up rather nicely – we hope. We also tried a song-fic near the end. The song fits well with the ending, yet with this being a first for a song-fic from us, only your comments will let us know if we did it right. If you want to hear a snippet of the song – and I do mean 'snippet' – just E-mail me and I can send you the web address and instructions. It's from Sarah Brightman's 'Eden' album. Wouldn't it be neat if Fan Fiction had a way of allowing us to showcase a 'theme song' of sorts? Yeah, that would be cool.

Just the same and as before, the TMNT's are owned by E&L, while Rahab, Riahna, Seth, Gaele, Devon, and Thomas are owned by W. A. Peabody. Ramica is manager of Rama, while Gabby, Mindy, and Jordan are properties of Reinbeauchaser's imagination.

Be blessed.

Chapter 60 – Epilogue: Love Transcending

The heat from the blast seemed distant, yet in her mind she could 'feel' its intensity as clearly as if she were right in the middle of it. For a quick second between the explosion and her next awareness, Rama could see the courtyard, the erupting crater with its fireball of destruction, and - beyond that - the clan as they dove for cover. She then crushed her eyes closed against the sudden bright glare of the growing fire and turned away, certain that she was going to die - or maybe she was already dead. Rama wasn't quite sure, because it seemed to take forever for fate to decide its verdict. Then, as her impatience for Nirvana grew beyond her capacity to cope, she opened her eyes again.

For a second, or maybe two, her mind was in complete conflict with what she was seeing. The battle area shimmered, as if not quite in focus, fluctuating with graduating speed as if changing to something else. It almost made her nauseous, as if she were back on that retched boat that took the team to Busuanga Island. Then, she felt a familiar tingling sensation with her confusion, the way an arm or a leg would feel after its circulation was cut off for a moment. Suddenly, as if she were waking from a bad dream, the fluxing view stabilized.

Now, she found herself staring in total disbelief. Whipping her head around in a panic unfamiliar to her, Rama's breathing quickened just a little.

"Wait, this cannot be right," she whispered hoarsely and nearly out of breath. She swallowed back the bile that threatened to extravasate from her as she tried to quell her nausea. Her heart then began to resonate against her plastron in heightening anxiety.

Just the same, where she stood, she could feel the prosaic texture of black tar paper beneath her feet. A cool, biting wind played with her braid. It tossed it about as if teasing her into believing that she was no longer on a humid island in the South China Sea, but completely somewhere else. It was obvious to Rama that she was standing on top of a rather tall building. Yet, as the breeze coursed over her body, it cooled the various cuts and abrasions she had earned in the recent battle. It only reminded her that she was not dead and, more importantly, she was not dreaming. She then blinked repeatedly, fearing that maybe she was hallucinating, instead. It was quite possible and maybe, in reality, she was suffering within the fire. Maybe her meditative mind was giving her a vision of comfort, protecting her from the horrors of burning to death.

However, the longer she stood there, the longer she allowed herself to be opened to her senses, she felt a cry rise up in her throat. Rama gasped as the last vestiges of her previous confusion faded out entirely and was replaced with what she now saw before her.

Her view was not of the courtyard or of the clan running to safety. Instead of soldiers blocking her way, Rama now saw towering skyscrapers. They shot up into the darkened, starlit sky, like silver fingers groping for room. As the wind danced around her, caressing her arms and legs, it seemed to be saying, "You're home, you're home."

It was night time, that much she was sure of, yet it didn't play with her mind as much as the scene before her did. The sight was familiar and one that she definitely thought she would never see again. She stilled her breathing, holding her breath, closing her eyes again, and reopening them as if maybe, just maybe she might wake up. However, there was no mistaking the man-made structures or their familiar design. Moreover, the wind kept reminding her that she was indeed not asleep and not dreaming or hallucinating.

As it was, the comparison was quite striking to her. The concrete and steel edifices were a far cry from the simple thatched roofs of the barracks she saw only moments earlier. That, alone, said that she was back in New York City. Even the varied intermingling scents, wafting up from the various restaurants far below her, were common for the Big Apple and not the jungle of a Filipino island.

Rama took a large deep breath, as if to reacquaint herself with her surroundings, but she quickly coughed as the polluted air reached her lungs. It was in sharp contrast to the clean air at Mike's home in Big Sur or at Leo's pristine mountain ryu in Japan. She then scowled, knowing where she was, a small fear beginning to grip her. Rama was certain that she had teleported again, yet, considering its capriciousness, she didn't know what world she was in, now. Recalling the tingling sensation when she first arrived and comparing that to her previous three experiences, she knew that she could be just about anywhere and in any universe. The only thing that concerned her was how ill she felt at first. As she thought about it though, one thing was different this time.

"I didn't have my eyes closed for this one," she mused, "Guess that says I better stay away from any Coney Island rides!" She chuckled just a little at the irony. Ninja she may be, but it was certain abrupt changes in her equilibrium did not bode well for her stomach.

Just the same, if this world was her world, then she could not afford to walk freely among the inhabitants below. However, if it was Devon's world, then she could easily climb down and not worry about being seen.

It was then that she realized that she was still holding the twin katana swords Leo had loaned her for the mission. If, indeed, this was still Devon's world, she knew that she would have to stash the weapons somewhere safe. Drawing the left sword out in front of her in worry, she studied the handle and its design. She noticed splatters of blood as it freckled the green, inlaid hilt. Contrary to how it was applied, its redness contrasted between the jade in the handle, giving it an almost cheerful appearance. A deep crimson stain along the steel blade was another reminder to the number of Foot she had killed during the rescue. Even though it had only been ten minutes since she had teleported, the battle now seemed far away.

At least, it seemed that way to Rama.

Nevertheless, it came back to her that, if this was indeed Devon's world, then she could not walk among the populace carrying such a weapon. She remembered how upset he had been when she had taken the one shuriken to Carmel without his knowledge. With Don so well-known in New York, she really didn't want to cause trouble for the family by having herself arrested for bearing arms in the city. For a moment, she thought of him and hoped that, if this was his world, the family had succeeded in getting him to safety. She then thought of Devon and an ache filled her heart. Part of her prayed that this was her beloved's world. She hoped that she had only transported to New York in the same way she had traveled from the dojo at Mike's place to Devon's bedroom. For just a moment, she smiled at the memory, longing for her beloved all over again. Still, as she studied her weapons, Rama knew she had to make a decision.

As she weighed the wisdom of either hiding her borrowed katanas or taking them with her, Rama realized that there was a third alternative to consider. It nearly made her quake, though. It was possible that she had traveled to a different world entirely and, therefore, to a different New York City.

However, Rama couldn't help but to laugh out loud, almost derisively at absurdity of her situation. Had anyone told her weeks ago about the idea of teleporting from one world to another, she would have laughed in their face. Yet, after being in an alternate existence for nearly two months, with twins of her father and uncles living there and with freedoms she could only dream about, such an idea now had far more credence than it did before.

As she looked out across from where she stood on the rooftop to the city beyond, she took in the taller skyscrapers. Thinking back to when Don Tello had rescued her, she wished she had stayed in New York just a little longer. Maybe then, she would have had some way to tell if this world was his or the one where her family resided – or something different all together. At least, she would have had a guideline to help her discern the differences.

Yet, despite her concerns, she saw that the structures were just as bright as she had last remembered them, their brilliance competing hungrily against the dark, star-filled sky. A myriad of colors, blinking and winking along man-made structures as the atmosphere bent their light, beckoned for her to believe she was truly home.

Shaking her head, however, Rama dismissed that idea. The last thing she needed to do, now, was to get bogged down with the mind-numbing possibilities of opening more doors to other alternate worlds. Sighing, she focused her thoughts on what she needed to do next, using just a little meditation to help her. Just the same, she was careful not to use too much, her fear of jumping into the next world greatly sobering her curiosity.

As she gathered her bearings, she began to notice a subtle lightening of the sky. The stars were fading a little more and it was then that Rama knew the sun was soon to rise. Morning was fast approaching and she knew she would have to make a decision quickly as to what to do before the city woke up.

"Play it safe, Rama," she advised herself, "and assume that this is your home, at least for now."

She decided that she would head in the direction of where she knew the lair was. From where she stood, the closest safe entry into the sewers was only about five blocks away. If she stayed to the rooftops in the way she was used to and if she hurried, she would make it before the first rays of the new day found their way over the horizon. If she discovered that the clan was no longer living where knew her sewer home was, then she would stash her weapons and rummage through some dumpsters for a disguise. From there, she would then head on over to the library to get some time on the computers. A little poking around on the Internet would give her sufficient information if there were a Don Tello or a Mike Angelo living in this world. After all, with their businesses, she expected at least one of them to have a website, or, at the bare minimum, some trivial bit of information on them.

As she thought about it, a person could find just about anyone on the 'net, unless, that is, they were a mutant ninja turtle living in the sewers!

Rama was finding, much to her chagrin, that it was a strenuous exercise for her to travel from rooftop to rooftop to the target alley. She was rather surprised by this, yet she was forced to realize that it had been too long since the last time she had traveled that way. Just the same and despite her irritation with herself for being so out of shape, she felt a slight giddiness as she leaped across the tops of the buildings. She remembered that this was the fun part of patroling, the excitement of flying through the air between structures as she bridged their distance.

Though she deftly kept herself from view, Rama was keenly alert to any human activity along the street below. Despite her multi-week hiatus from such activities, it didn't take long for Rama to remember her training. She didn't have any use for it while in Devon's world. Consequently, she had become accustomed to not worrying about such matters. Now, it was all coming back to her like a second nature, which was more true than not.

Just the same, in less time than she thought it would take her, Ramiela arrived at the alley in question. Making sure that she would not be seen, she easily scaled down the wall and to the concrete ground below. She then made it to the nearest manhole cover before anyone could chance upon her. Effortlessly lifting and then sliding the lid to one side just enough to slip underneath, she eased into the darkened world of the sewers. Just before dropping to the tunnel floor, she then pulled the cover quietly back into place, just as she had been taught, and leaving no trace of her existence for anyone to discover.

As she stepped down off the ladder, she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at the pungent scent that now wafted up to her nostrils. It was in direct contrast to the world above and, by her immediate reaction, not an improvement.

"Oh, yuck! How gross can you get?" she wondered to herself as she screwed up her face in disgust. "Funny, I don't recall the sewers ever smelling this badly before."

However, she knew that for years she had grown up in and around such smells and had learned to dismiss them, almost as if they didn't exist. Now, after being away from it for as long as she had, the variegated stench of sewer-refuse seemed worse. She wondered if she would ever be able to get used to it again, that is if she was indeed back on her home world.

Shaking her head to clear her mind and to dismiss her current discomfort, Rama moved silently out from the bottom of the sewer shaft and into the tunnels themselves. She kept to the shadows and the drier side of the tunnel. It was an oxymoron at best, though, considering the sizable amount of runoff that had collected there. The water flowed lazily down the center in the culvert and on towards the East River. The gentle sound of its rushing echoed melodiously off the damp concrete walls of the sewer tunnels. The lap of water against the sides of the culvert masked her footfalls, an advantage her family used whenever they progressed through the labyrinth of underground pathways.

Just the same and regardless if this was her world, Devon's world, or a different world entirely, Rama kept her senses on high alert. It didn't matter that she was on what she considered to be her 'turf'. Rama knew she was never safe from being seen, or secure from any possible attack from her clan's dreaded enemy. Again, she had to assume that she had teleported back to her world. Yet, as she walked along, she tried to piece together the events, to see if there was a clue hidden within her most recent teleporting experience.

She recalled how desperately she wanted to see her father and family again. By her reckoning, her thoughts occurred just before the blast and before she thought of Nirvana. The fact that she was back in New York City, confirmed to her, at the very least, she wasn't dead. Rama also thought the blast might have been her ticket, so to speak, yet if that was the case, what propelled her into Devon's room? Other than her desires to see him and the loneliness she felt from her temporary expulsion, there wasn't anything explosive to consider.

Maybe the strong desire to be somewhere and the deep meditative state of mind are the key components to my jumping from one world to the next?" she thought. However, Rama groaned when she realized how much that sounded like her Uncle Donatello's reasoning.

Shaking her head, she dismissed that 'horror' and focused her concerns for the moment with crossing paths with any city workers. She knew they would often come down to do regular maintenance on the tunnels, clearing out clogged arteries in the system in order to keep the water flowing in times of rain. Of course, in her world, the added worry was finding Foot Soldiers roaming the sewers in their quest to capture or even to kill anyone from her family.

As Rama walked the sewer tunnel, she began to recognize characteristics in the walls that seemed more that vaguely familiar. Keeping alert for anyone else in her vicinity, she studied the nuances in the wall of the concrete tunnel. She was looking for nearly undetectable guides as she walked along. Her family had a way of marking the walls in order to direct friend or family to their lair. They were haphazard in design and not the least bit obvious. To the untrained and uninformed eye, they looked like nothing more than a loosened brick, or a crumbled spot on the wall, or even a tree root that managed to find its way down there through cracks in the concrete above. The guides, though, were cleverly applied and used; so much so that not even the Foot were wise to them. She knew that if any were down there, her location and what world she was in would no longer be a mystery. Suddenly, her excitement began to grow little by little as she spied the first one.

While Rama followed the signs, she came to a tight bend in the tunnels. With her keen senses, she was suddenly alerted to someone coming her way. She stopped and listened, slowing her breathing. She tried to determine who it was. She could detect not a sound and not one stray beam of light that would identify them as a city worker. The fact that she could not sense their thoughts told her that they had the training and ability to mentally shut down. It was then that she believed they might be Foot soldiers. What startled her even more was that, who ever they were, they were trying very hard not to be noticed.

It was becoming obvious to her that they, too, were on high alert as well.

Rama dipped deeper into her ninjitsu so she could get enough information to decide whether it was a friend or foe. Yet, whoever was coming her way, they were shielding themselves all too well.

Unable to gasp even a tiny stray thought, she took a defensive position. Rama quickly slipped into a nearby T-junction in the sewer tunnel, just before the bend in the pipes. Finding deeper shadows there, she shrank into them, maintaining her own mental cloaking as she did. She reached over her shoulder and silently withdrew the borrowed twin katanas from their sheaths. She progressed even deeper into her ninja meditation. She slowed her breathing down and emptied her mind so that, whoever was there, would not be alerted to her until the last moment when she would strike.

Unsure if it was an enemy, Rama decided to act only in defense. She recalled all of Leo's recent lessons to her about acting, as opposed to reacting. She mentally went over the new and exciting techniques that he had taught her while she was staying at Mike's. It was obvious that the difference in age between him and her sensei at home had given him more opportunities to develop better fighting styles. In actuality, they had enhanced what she already knew and she remembered thinking how exciting it would be if she had the opportunity to show her family. She had to admit that the new routines had definitely improved her fighting, if the efficiency of her kills during the battle on Busuanga Island was any proof. In a small way, Rama felt a subtle rush of adrenaline as she anticipated using what Leo had taught her against the Foot; that is if the Foot did indeed exist in this world.

She sensed the unknown presence draw closer and suddenly felt that there were more than one, maybe even more than two. In frustration, she couldn't quite discern how many there were. However, they continued to be cautious, as well, as they approached her location. It almost seemed as if that had been alerted to her, despite her attempts to be invisible.

She felt her irritation rise just a little

As they closed in on her location, she saw them seconds before they came around the corner. Though her maai told her of their presence, they were still shadowed and a mystery to her. Yet as quickly as she had, they drew their weapons, ready for attack.

Implementing her new-found skills, Rama responded without thought, but with purpose and design. Like a green flash with silver streaks of lightening in each hand, she leaped out with her katanas, executing quickly, yet not with intent to harm, but to disarm. She was met immediately by her unknown assailants, as they almost reacted as quickly as she had. Yet, in four swiftly delivered movements and executed faster than her opponents were prepared to deflect, Rama virtually removed their weapons from their possession. In less time than it took for her to suck in a breath, Rama literally disarmed her would-be attackers. Not a drop of blood was spilled in the process, which was a good thing, since the next voice sounded far too familiar to her.

"Whoa, what the hell!"

"Rama?"

They were all now standing where the soft intermittent light of the sewer system washed over them. Rama blinked, not quite accepting what she was seeing, which was becoming an all too frequent feeling for her of late. Though the voices were strangely familiar, Rama hadn't stopped to register who they might belong to. She had acted only on instinct, while using her training, as she didn't have anything to confirm that those who were following her might be family. She had only moved and reacted in defense of herself.

Yet, as she allowed herself to believe what she was seeing, it was becoming quite clear to her what world she was truly in. She smiled, though hesitantly at first. Again, she was wrestling with her desire to be back with Devon, knowing she had found something with him that her home-world would never be able to give to her. Just the same, her other desire to see her family one last time was just as strong. Now, as she recognized their different colored masks and their posturing, she knew who they were. More to the point and beyond any reasonable doubt, judging from the fresh wounds on their arms and legs, they had also just come from a recent battle, as well.

No wonder they were nearly undetectable and moved to attack so quickly.

"Dad?" Rama wondered in shock as she sheathed the swords back into their scabbards. She questioned what she was seeing only because it had been so long since the last time she had seen her father. Rama noted how young he looked compared to the Mike on Devon's world. She felt a lump rise in her throat.

Yet, before anyone else could respond, Mike gazed upon his long-lost daughter. He then choked out, "Rama llama ding dong, my God, girl, where have you been? Do you know how worried I've been, that we've all been?" he demanded with just a slight edge of irritation in his voice.

Shuddering from the shock of seeing him and of being home again, Rama sniffed. The familiar moniker reassured her even more that this was indeed her family and her world. Grinning through her tears of relief, she exclaimed, "You must be pretty worried about me to go calling me by my old nick-name." She then flung her arms about his neck, "As for where I've been, that's kind of a long story, Dad." she admitted through brimming eyes.

Standing off to one side and as relieved as his brother was to have his daughter back, Leo blinked in complete surprise. Reaching out with his mind, he sensed a new maturity about Ramiela that had not been there before. Wherever she had been, it offered her something unique to create that attitude. It was obvious she had grown considerably, both in mental strength and emotion. More importantly, he had never thought she would be capable of disarming all of them so quickly and as efficiently as she had just done. What perplexed him, though, were the moves she implemented. They weren't like anything he had ever seen before.

Consequently, he couldn't help but ask, his voice betraying his wonder, "Where did you learn to fight like that, Ramiela?"

Rama looked over at her sensei and noticed that he, too, was younger than his twin in Devon's world. Just the same and with interesting contrast, Rama could easily detect an expression of hardness upon her uncle's face. Her family's life was a difficult one, with little time for relaxing and few opportunities for peace. She realized, then, that the Leo in the other world had lived a rather easy life compared to her sensei here. Maybe he did have similar beginnings with fighting the Foot, but Devon's uncle had many more years of peace than her family would ever have.

Just the same, this Leo was her Uncle Leonardo and true sensei, and she was very glad to see him.

"I learned to fight this way from the best ninja I know, Sensei." Rama replied honestly as she bowed her head. Looking back up, she saw a look of confusion cross his face. She silently laughed, enjoying the fact that, for now, she had her teacher thoroughly confused.

Rama then looked over and saw Donatello as he retrieved his bo-staff from where it had fallen. Seeing him alive once again caused her to choke up. However, she was amused to find hot tears burn at her eyes for a second time. Yet, she was certain that, not too long ago, she would not live to see him again. As Don drew up with the others and shook the water off his weapon, Rama stepped away from her father and sensei. She then turned towards her teacher and bowed low and deep to the turtle in purple.

Raph sneered and then chuckled, taken by surprise with his niece's gesture of respect. "Since when do you rate that, Donny?" he demanded sarcastically. He smirked as he picked up and re-sheathed his sais and then leaned against the tunnel wall while folding his arms across his plastron.

Donatello hesitated for only a moment, just as unprepared for Rama's expression of honor as Raphael was. Then, quickly regaining his composure, he returned the favor and bowed to his niece. Straightening back up, he looked over at his brother and shrugged in reply to Raph's question, "Haven't a clue, Raph, but I'll accept it, just the same." Rama's respect for him was just as baffling to Don as it was to everyone else. He then grinned as if he had been the only one to be so honored by such a coveted expression of respect.

Suddenly, Rama, overwhelmed with the feelings that were coursing through her, rushed over and flung her arms around her Uncle Donatello. She then gushed unabashedly, nearly cutting off his circulation, "I missed you so much. I – I thought I'd never see you again," Now she was unable to hold back her sobs, crying as she released him and stood back, wiping a few errant tears from her eyes. "I feel like I've been gone forever. I've missed all of you so very much," she sniffed, running the back of her hand across the front of her muzzle.

"Well Rama, you might have felt you were gone forever. Even I was worried that I'd never see you again, especially after watching you float up into the air and just disappear." Mike confessed "That was pretty weird, I'll have to admit. But honey, whatever happened to you, you were only gone for two weeks."

Rama was stunned almost speechless. The first shock was to realize that her dream from weeks earlier when she first arrived at Mike's, was not so much a dream as it was a vision. She had, indeed, succeeded in reaching out to her world, although she hadn't realized it at the time. Just the same, hearing about the number of days that had passed for her family while she was away, nearly caused her to step back in surprise.

"Two weeks?" she asked in shocked disbelief. She shook her head as the others nodded theirs, as if in confirmation. Her eyes were wide, as if unable to accept what her father had just told her. "B-but that's impossible I've been gone for several weeks now; even a couple of months, in fact," she insisted.

"It's true, Rama, trust me." Mike declared, giving Don a concerned look before gazing back to his daughter, "I've been counting the days, how could I not?" Mike was now worried that Rama might have suffered a head injury or something similar, causing her to believe that she had been gone far longer then what she actually had. It was easy to see that she had been in a recent battle, if the wounds on her arms and legs were any indication. Therefore, Mike was certain that his long-lost daughter had fought her way home and, due to her injuries, might have suffered some mental side-effect.

Leo saw her confusion, yet he also knew the katana swords that Rama now housed in her scabbards were far higher in quality than any of the weapons they currently owned. As he picked up his own weapons from the sewer floor, he noticed new indentations in the blades where Rama's katana struck against them. Glancing over to her, he knew she would have had to acquire her swords from somewhere other than forging them herself. After all, hers were left behind when she disappeared and he had them stored in his own room for safe-keeping.

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for it all and we might understand it better once you tell us everything, Ramiela," he soothed, sensing the girl's distress. Then, as he glanced at the fresh wounds Rama sported on her arms and legs, Leo decided, "But for now, though, let's return home where it's safe. It looks as if it's been a long night for all of us."

The familiar tunnels, though cold in temperature, warmed Rama's very being. She was home, she was finally home! In all honesty, she was happy, yet a particular sadness also resided in her heart. If she was truly home, then that meant she was out of Devon's world. Just the same, for now, she would shelve her longings and grief of losing him to enjoy her homecoming and allow herself a moment of reprieve from her disappointment and sadness. Even if she wanted to dwell on it, she could sense from her uncles, and most especially from her father, that not one of them would allow her the opportunity. Collectively, they were nearly popping with excitement to have her back, though she could easily sense Leonardo studying her and felt his confusion with her conflicting emotions.

Once they arrived at the lair, it didn't take long for the rest of the family to learn of Rama's return. It truly was a fact that secrets were impossible to keep in a home filled with ninja. Tyler, as if he had been expecting her, came running into the living area to greet her with peels of laughter and joy.

"Rama, my siser, Rama's home!" he yelled as he flung himself at her.

His big sister scooped him up and tossed him high into the air, catching him as she listened to his joyful squeals of delight. He smothered Rama in kisses and hugs as she brought him back down again. He then announced with pride, "Mommy's in th'kichen, Rama. Go see!" he grinned.

"All right, Tyler, let's do that." Rama smiled, setting Tyler back down and grabbing up his hand. He practically dragged her as they walked along, followed by his chuckling father and uncles. As the group passed through the kitchen door, Rama immediately saw Catherine sitting in one of the chairs, feeding what was obviously her newest child. Noting the pink blanket the infant was wrapped in, Rama knew for a fact that she now had a baby sister.

Catherine's eyes went wide and then her smile followed, "Rama, oh my, Rama, you're back." Her eyes glistened as they threatened to let loose with a deluge of tears. "We've all missed you so very much, honey" she choked out before gaining control of her emotions, again.

"I've missed you, too, Catherine…Mom!" Rama declared, nearly losing it as her step-mother had done. She went over to hug her and then, noticing the bundle in her arms, asked, "So, I have a sister, do I?"

"Yes," Catherine declared proudly and then gently pulled her daughter away from her breast and, after covering herself up, pulled back the blanket to reveal the child's features. "Rama, meet your new sister, Tessica!"

It was easy for Rama to see that the turtle genes were still winning out over normal human ones. However, Tessica had dark green skin rather than the lighter shade she and her brother had. Also, the female child had long eyelashes, as well as a mop of curly, light brown hair. Rama couldn't resist but to reach out and gently caress the top of her sister's head. From Rama's experience with how Tyler was, Tessica looked to be only a week old.

Just then a small cry of protest erupted from Tessica's tiny lungs, with Catherine returning the infant to her meal. After pulling the blanket over her nursing child once again, Cathy gazed back up at Rama. However, the woman could easily read the look of longing in her step daughter's eyes and knew how badly the girl wanted to hold her new sister. So, she said, "You can hold her when she's finished eating, Rama. Right now, though, I don't think she wants to be disturbed."

Suddenly, shouts of "Rama!" and "Ramiela's back," as well as "Hey, Ramiela's home," echoed throughout the lair. Soon, a hoard of her cousins came pouring into the kitchen from the living area and from other parts of their home, edging past the adult members of the clan to swarm as one around their long-lost family member. They hugged her to the point where, by their numbers alone, she almost lost her balance. She laughed with them and returned their hugs with equal force.

The younger ones, like Sensei's youngest daughter, Tiffany - only a few years older then Tyler – began to plead with her, chorused by Raph and Don's six year olds Jacob and Kaida. "Come play, Rama. You were gone too long. We miss you!" they exclaimed together as they pulled and pushed at her. Their favorite playmate couldn't help but laugh at their antics, reaching out and quickly tickling them as they tried to avoid her lightening-fast, yet gentle, jabs.

The older children, such as Donatello's Abby and Colby, then Raphael's Mineko, and finally Leo's eleven year old, Jeff, begged her for lessons, yet they also wanted to show her what they had learned in her absence.

"We've learned some really cool moves while you were gone, Rama!" Jeff exclaimed proudly.

"Yeah," Mineko declared smugly, "I bet I can get you down on the mat with what I've learned!" The young girl's inherent confidence was so much like her father, Raphael, that Rama couldn't help but laugh at the similarities between her cousin and her favorite uncle.

Yet, Rama seemed delighted to just stand there and be crushed by the mob of kids. Finally, she took up a chair to pull as many of the little ones onto her lap as she could manage. They gleefully complied, helping her along and hugging her as she hugged them back, tickling them and trying to respond with as many of their demands for attention as she could.

Mike and his brothers watched from the sidelines, all four grinning as one and relieved to have their kunoichi and future jonin of the clan, back home once again.

Silently watching the spectacle play out before him, Aiden leaned into the kitchen doorway with a small scowl on his face. He shook his head and rolled his eyes before snorting, "So, you made it back after all," he huffed, crossing his arms over his plastron.

Rama looked up at him and then gave him a wide grin, declaring, "Hey, I missed you too, Cuz."

Aiden then smiled at her, in return, and it was obvious that he had missed her as well. Still, true to his nature, he refused to say aloud anything remotely sentimental. Instead, he mentally welcomed her home and with as much enthusiasm as his siblings and cousins were expressing.

Later on that evening and after dinner was over, the children were either put to bed or were otherwise preoccupied elsewhere in the lair by their mothers. Rama finally found a moment to shower and took off to do so before anyone else put demands on her time. Leo waited for Rama to finish cleaning up. Once she came out of the bathroom, he then accompanied her into the living area where the clan, including Splinter, were waiting for her debriefing.

She felt refreshed, now, her wounds cleansed and dressed to avoid infection. Most were minor, but nothing so serious as to keep her from feeling relieved to be home. She still thought of Devon, but her mind was on her family, now. Later, she would deal with her feelings of loss within the privacy of her room.

"So, now that you've had some time to rest up, mind telling us what happened?" Leo asked her as the two of them sat down on one of the sofas. Raphael and Mike were seated on the far sofa with Don taking up one of the chairs opposite from Splinter, who had the coveted overstuffed high-back and the seat of honor. The rat, although elderly, appeared more alert than before, as Rama began her explanation. His ears were turned sharply in her direction to catch her every word, while his whiskers twitched in anticipation. Wrapped around his legs was his hair-less tail with the very tip of it twitching in restrained excitement.

"Well," she said, at first studying her hands and then looking up to face her family, "it's a long story and it's going to be hard to explain, but this is what happened…"

Over the next hour, Rama tried to describe to them her experience, how she felt herself floating away from the roof-top battle weeks ago. Then, finding herself injured and bleeding in an alley, she told of her amnesia and how her uncle's counterpart, Don Tello, discovered her. She described waking up in his penthouse and then meeting her family's twins, which ended up causing her to regain most of her memory. As she told about her adventures with being drugged and then waking up on Don's jet, Rama detected a strong undercurrent of anger from her father. She sent him a mental message of understanding about that, but quickly dismissed it to further describe her life at Mike Angelo's estate in Big Sur.

She saw her family's eyes, and especially her father's, go wide at certain points in her story. It was obvious that they were rather transfixed with her tale and maybe a little skeptical.

Leonardo and Master Splinter sat passively, though, watching and sensing for any falsehood in the girl. As she shared, she allowed them to probe her mind as far as verifying her story. It didn't take them too long to be convinced that Rama was being truthful in the telling about her experiences.

Still, while she was in the bathroom taking a shower, she had made a decision. Before her sensei called her out for the meeting, Rama decided that she would omit two particular aspects of her time in the other world.

The first was that no one, absolutely not one person in her family, would ever know that she had already celebrated April Fools. Rama had discovered, while she was still in the kitchen greeting her cousins, that it was still February and almost two months away from her favorite day of the year! She was certain that if they knew she'd already had her fun in Devon's world, they would deny her the right to enjoy the holiday this year in her world. As far as she was concerned, that wasn't going to happen, no way. "How often can one celebrate a particular holiday twice in the same year?" she reasoned to herself.

The other fact that she was determined not to divulge, was just how serious her relationship with Devon became. Instead, when she shared about him, she minimized their relationship, telling everyone that he had become a good 'friend' to her and helped her to cope with life topside. The last thing she needed was for her father to freak out and have a fit with how close she felt and how intimate she became with Raphael's son in the other world. "If he even learns about how far I was willing to go…" she had mused with a smirk, before Leo had called her out, "I doubt he'd ever let me meditate again!"

As she finished telling how she ended up in California and about her 'friendship' with Devon, she gave a sideways glance to her sensei. It was then that she saw a small 'knowing' smile crease his face. It was perfectly clear that, even though she had shielded any incriminating information from him, Leo could tell that Devon was more to her than just a friend. Up until the time she had returned home, Rama didn't have any need or reason to mask her feelings for her beloved. Consequently she hadn't been quite fast enough to guard her heart from Leo on the matter.

Just the same, Rama swallowed and then quickly changed the subject. "Oh, and you're not going to believe this one!" she declared, knowing that the next part of her story would have Leo's focus onto something else, "Shay was also part of that world!" She waited for the weight of her words to affect her family.

Hearing the name of Rama's mother, Raph's eyes blazed in familiar fury. He looked over and saw that his brother, Mike, also reacted, his expression hardening ever so slightly. None of this was lost on Rama as she went on to say, "However, like it was with everyone else, she wasn't anything like she was in that world, although I didn't know that at first. No one even suspected there would be any correlation between Gabby's mom and me."

Mike raised a hand to interrupt her, "You seem so – how can I say this…" he tapped his chin a little as he looked up at nothing in particular. Then, clearly irritated with hearing Rama's mother's name spoken again, he looked back at his daughter, almost close to seething, "Oh, I don't know, unbothered and maybe, just a little glib with that?" His eyes smoldered for just a moment, yet it was easy to tell that he was more upset with his memories of Shay than angry with his daughter.

Catching his displeasure, yet understanding the nature of it, Rama continued, "Well, let me explain, Dad, okay? I was bothered with her, at first…" Then Rama then went on to tell how badly she had reacted towards her mom's twin when she first saw her. She described how she had nearly destroyed the music store, almost killing Gabby's mom in the end. With much chagrin, she shared how it was Gabby, herself, who had finally broken through Rama's blood-lust and who literally saved her own mother's life.

"If it weren't for Gabby's ability to get through to me, I would have killed her mother. I just lost total control of myself…" Rama said solemnly. It was obvious by all that the event great disturbed her.

However, Raph's angry mood brightened considerably. Hearing how his niece had tried to right the wrongs that Shay had committed against her, even if she was in another world, he commented as if trying to bolster her a bit, "Hey, Rama, blood-lust or not, you did what you felt you had to do!" However, he was given a silent and immediate rebuked from Leo. Grumping, Raph settled back against the couch, crossing his arms in front of him in a huff.

Then, Rama told about helping to clean up the mess she had made, deciding not to tell them about her temporary exile in Mike's dojo. She figured, considering how her family lived and their view on self preservation, they would not understand her punishment. Instead, she shared how she discovered, much to her surprise, what a good woman Cassandra was.

Both Raph and Mike snorted in disbelief. "Give me a break, Rama." Mike exclaimed as he shook his head in denial, "No way. Shay would have to be just as evil in this other world as she was in ours." Her father's expression was hard and unforgiving. It was obvious that he was resistant to believing the woman who had caused them nothing but grief could be so different in this other existence.

"If that's true," Rama stated, "then I guess Uncle Donatello and Uncle Raphael's twins would have to be just like them, no exceptions." She looked over at her uncles in question and continued to explain, smiling just a little, "But, that wasn't the case. In Devon's world, Don Tello was wealthy beyond belief and had just about anything and everything at his finger tips. He was also assertive and not the least bit hesitant to flex his ninjitsu, if it guaranteed an outcome. In fact, he greatly dishonored me to that end. No, he might have been like you in appearance, but he also had the capacity to lie and manipulate, if need be."

Her Uncle Don's eye widened just a bit, shaking his head as if unable to fathom that he in any universe could be that way. Yet, before any of them could form an opinion, Rama went on to further explain, "Yet, Don Tello was not above prostrating himself in front of me, when he realized the gravity of his misjudgement. I couldn't rightly blame him for how he acted towards me, since I was refusing to answer any of his questions about all of you. Just the same, he more than tried to make up for his own misconduct, offering me the traditional posturing of contrition." Pausing for emphasis, Ramiela continued with her story, "Don also shared jonin responsibilities with Leo, while Leo was out of the States." She looked over at her other uncle, saying, "As for Raph, he was less aggressive than you are, almost cautious in comparison. He did have a temper and had an occasion to chastise me for my initial behavior. Still, he had been through a lot, nearly losing his mind after his divorce from Rahab." Though there was more to the story that Devon had shared with her, Rama decided for expediency, to foreshorten it.

Rama saw Donatello raise his eye ridges and then smile as he looked over at Leo, quite amused. Leo only rolled his eyes in response, allowing a small upturn in the crook of his mouth at the thought. Raphael just shrugged before Rama went on, "They might have been duplicates of all of you, but they were different in many ways. From that experience, I learned a very valuable lesson with getting to know Cassie."

Laughing almost derisively, Raph asked in his usual acerbic way, "Right, and what would that be, Ramiela, how to kill someone with music?"

Mike chuckled a little at his brother's sharp wit, but then he, too, received the same quiet warning from Leo. "Hey, Leo, we're just having some fun, here. It does seem rather incredulous, you have to admit."

"Maybe so, Mike, but I can't sense anything but honesty in your daughter and I know you can sense it as well." Leo replied stoically as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his plastron. Splinter nodded in confirmation, lacing his long, bony fingers together and smiling warmly at his granddaughter.

"Yeah, well, you're right about that," Mike allowed and then turned back to Rama, who was obviously not at all happy with being interrupted. "Sorry, Rama, it's just so – incredible, everything that you're sharing and all."

"I know that, Dad," Rama replied, "but I know what I saw, what I went through. I'm not saying that Shay of our world should be forgiven or her punishment regretted. It's just that, well, I've learned that circumstance often determine who we are and how we act – or react." Shifting in her seat a little and pointing to herself, Rama remarked, "Consider me, for example. I've lived my entire life fearing topside, except for when I can carry my weapons or am in disguise. Yet, in that other world, I learned to walk out in the open, among humans, and without weapons." She saw her family's interest pique just a little, so she continued, "Oh, I wanted to hide at first, you can bet on that. Yet, I learned that even humans can get used to us." Rama sighed at the thought, "At least, in that other world, they can."

She noticed that the caustic remarks seemed to have stopped but what grabbed her attention was her Uncle Donatello. As he watched and studied her, a bit of wistfulness came into his expression. For a fleeting moment, Rama sensed longing. She knew that her Uncle Donatello had the same smarts and intelligence as Don Tello did. However, it was only their personal and unique circumstances that separated her family from experiencing a similar lifestyle. It pained her to know that, because the humans in her world would be too resistant in accepting them, her uncle and the rest of her clan might not ever know the luxury his twin enjoyed. Yet, Rama was glad that it was she, and not her teacher, who had the experience, since it was hard to miss something you didn't have. For her uncle's ignorance of such things, she was glad. She knew that Donatello often chafed at their limited existence and, therefore, would find it impossible to cope with if he had what Rama had for the two months she was away.

For herself, only time would allow her to adjust to life in the sewers once again.

As she came to the part in her story about Don's alleged demise and what triggered her return, she explained how they had learned the truth and discovered where the enemy was holding him. Rama then described how the rescue had gone, "I knew I was already in a meditative state for the battle and I knew I couldn't escape the blast, there just wasn't enough time," Rama swallowed sharply and closed her eyes for a moment as she remembered Devon calling her to run to safety. It was only a few hours ago that she last heard his voice and it echoed like a forbidden temptation in her mind. Still, just sitting there in the lair once again and in her world, his voice seemed as if it was a lifetime away and growing fainter by the moment.

As she steeled herself against the pain of loss and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees, Rama talked, instead, about what triggered her return, "As the blast became eminent, I wanted to come home and see all of you just one last time before I died," Rama murmured as she sniffed a bit, looking at the floor, "yet I truly felt and believed that it wasn't going happen."

She suddenly sensed her father's own emotions and looked up at him. Their eyes met and it was plain to her that he was reliving that fateful night he had seen her disappear. She could see the empathy in his face and watched his eyes fill with tears in the remembering. He knew all too well the same desire she was sharing about.

Ramiela then went on to say, "I think that I must have teleported again, it's the only other explanation to explain my being here. All the necessary elements were in place. I was in a strong meditative state that lasted for some time because of the battle, like that first time. I had a strong mental image of where I wanted to be and I had an accelerant from the blast that made me think I was going to die." Of course, Rama didn't dare tell them about the one time that only her desires were enough to send her on her way – and into Devon's bedroom!

Her family was quiet in reflection for a moment as Rama paused in her telling. There was just so much information to digest, so many possibilities to consider, that for the moment, it all seemed incredibly overwhelming to everyone.

Then, as he remembered from earlier and sounding quite perplexed, Mike commented, "Yeah, but, Rama, you said that you've been gone for two months, yet it's only been two weeks for us; you couldn't have been gone that long," His brow furrowed deeply, clearly showing the confusion he felt.

Don suddenly cut in, holding up one hand as if it could stop his brother's refusal to believe Rama's story, "Don't be too sure about that, Mike. It is theoretically possible for the time-line to be different from one world to another." It was clear that he was all ready working out the 'how's and whys' in his own mind. Smiling and waving his hands around for emphasis, he went on to explain, "Look, even the planets in our own solar system revolve differently. The distance they are from the sun and their unique and individual gravitational pulls either lengthen or shorten their days and years. For each planet, time is different. Take for example Pluto; it takes two-hundred and fifty of Earth's years for the planet to circle the sun; yet for Mercury it only takes 88 Earth days!"

"Yeah, okay, that explanation I can buy, Don," Raph exclaimed, "but all this stuff about older twins, uh-uh, I don't think so." Raph shook his head. The thought unnerved him to think that, not only did he have a twin, but he had one that nearly lost his mind - and over a female, no less. He crossed his arms in front of him and snorted.

Don laughed "Haven't you heard the old saying about how we all have a twin or a doppelganger somewhere in the world?A person that looks just like us, walks like us, talks like us, but has not necessarily lived the same life that we have?" Don then commented as he cocked his head to one side, "There's a theory that says there are parallel worlds that, in many ways, mirror our own. Perhaps Ramiela inadvertently stumbled into one such world."

Rama smiled at her uncle Donatello, for once admiring his knowledge of just about everything and giving her story some credibility. She knew her experiences were hard to believe, so she truly appreciated her uncle's input. It was quite possible, too, that her show of respect to him from earlier might have made him more open to what she had to share. Just the same, it went without saying that her family completely trusted her Uncle Donatello in such mind-numbing matters as science.

"Look," Rama insisted, almost in frustration and then declared firmly, not willing to back down when she knew she was telling the truth, "I'm not lying. I know where I was and how long I was there."

Splinter smiled "She knows, she is right." was all that he said and while these days his words often meant very little, Rama had a feeling he understood her long tale and accepted it as the truth.

As Raph and Mike attempted to counterpoint their father, Leo held up his hand to quell any more challenges to Rama's claims. Once his two brothers relinquished the forum, he turned to his niece and said, "We know you are not lying Ramiela; after all, we can sense your sincerity," However and just a bit more seriously, he suggested, "Just the same, if what you said about how meditation was a key element, then we are going have to work on this new teleporting skill of yours."

Rama groaned as she rolled her eyes, knowing that once her sensei had made up his mind about something, no amount of failure would deter him from success. She could see herself spending the rest of the year in the dojo meditating until, at the very least, she was able to teleport to the bathroom. Finally she said, "No offence, Sensei, but if the other Leonardo in the alternate world couldn't find a way for me to do it deliberately and when I wanted to, how are we going manage it here?"

Leo gave a small, sly smile, "By practicing, my dear Ramiela. Every skill you have, you have learned to use through repeated practice." He then pointed out, "Besides, there are times that such a skill might be necessary for all of us, so it is important to learn and know how it is to be done."

"But, Sensei," Rama argued gently, "it may be that I might not be able to control where I go or even when. I just might end up in a completely alternate universe where the whole world is made up of Foot Elite and we're still in the sewers, but not ninja!" She lamented sorely, "I could literally jump from the frying pan and into the fire."

"Well," Leo shrugged, "then, you'll just have to teach our counterparts ninjitsu, now wouldn't you." Seeing the near exasperation in his niece's face, he added, "At the very least, Ramiela, we would stop the lesson if you begin that tingling sensation and were not sure of where you wanted to go. Quite honestly, I don't think we care to lose you again."

"No way, bro!" Mike chimed in, "These past two weeks have been hell for me – and for Cathy, not to mention for Tyler, too." He also knew that Karena would agree with him, where she saw very little of her husband after Rama disappeared. As a result, he had to take over her duties in the dojo training the younger clan members. Consequently, along with patrol duty, Leo was usually too exhausted in the evenings to even be an adequate mate to her.

Just the same, Rama tried not to express the frustrated sigh that welled up inside of her. Yet she couldn't help but grump internally, "I have a feeling, though, that meditation and teleporting is going to be my only lessons for a while.'

She saw her sensei give a smirk, as if in silent confirmation of her thoughts. "Very perceptive of you." he agreed in a low tone and then chuckled softly in amusement at his niece's chagrin.

After the meeting was finally declared over, Rama went to her bedroom. As she passed through the doorway, she smiled as she saw the computer desk just inside and to her right, with her bed against the farthest wall and a simple night stand sitting next to it. Then, her small three-drawer dresser stood next to the desk along its left, and then a bookcase at the opposite end of her room which completed what furnishing she owned.

The furniture was old and battered looking, though she knew it was far too sturdy to fall apart. There were a few pictures of her favorite singers on the walls, along with some of her own drawings and a poster of a sea turtle that she had owned since childhood. She sighed at the familiarity. There was no denying that Mike Angelo provided very well for his family and that his generosity knew no limits. Rama had enjoyed staying in the opulent guest room with its walk-in closet and oversized bathroom that she didn't have to share. Yet, despite the beauty of that place and all that it offered it, this room was hers and it was her home. She would never trade it for anything – except for maybe a little more time with Devon.

Yet, it had been a long day for her with it starting out in Japan. As she thought about it, the team had spent a good eight hours between leaving Leo's Ryu and the battle on Busuanga Island. They had left at three in the afternoon, arriving at the enemy's base close to midnight; which was perfect for a night time assault. From the battle to her return home, it was only a matter of maybe fifteen minutes, yet the tired ache in her body told her it was more like hours. It was quite possible that she was still operating on a time schedule that Devon's world followed. If her two months in his world was equivalent to only two weeks in hers, then – she had some serious math to consider before understanding how many hours of sleep she had gone without. "Guess I could have Uncle Donatello figure it out for me," she mused, but then she sighed as she realized what would probably happen, "Nope, I just know he'd make me do the work, instead."

Just the same, she was tired and she wanted to catch a few hours sleep before patrol that night. Flopping down on her bed, she recalled what her sensei had said, that the Foot was still active and, as always, he was worried about it. It seemed that it was business as usual, now that she was home, again. Yet, Rama just didn't feel quite ready to lie down; her mind was still working through the day's events and, more importantly, on her thoughts of Devon.

Consequently, knowing that it would help her to relax and make it easier for her to nap later, she eased into a lotus position to meditate a bit.

As Rama relaxed, she entered into a deep meditative state. Her breathing slowed and her heart rate followed suit, allowing her mind to drift. Suddenly, she thought she felt the faintest brush of a familiar but very distant presence and it seemed to be in a meditative state as well.

"Devon?" she wondered silently, somewhat surprised.

"Rama!" the mental shout was full of shock and uncertainty, as if the speaker wasn't sure but he wanted to believe. "Did you teleport?" he asked her expectantly, yet with a feeling of hope wafting through the mediation plane.

"Yeah, I'm back with my family, Devon, and I have a baby sister. But, I sure miss you though." Rama replied soberly.

Devon's thoughts eagerly replied, "I miss you, too, Rags - so much. But, it is good to know that you're still alive. The family will be glad to hear that you made it back. Guess the memorial for you was a little premature. Oh, before I forget, Don is doing well."

Rama smiled; pleased with the news and for the mental contact she had with Devon. How often had she tried to reach her family like this and failed miserably? Why was she able to contact Devon, now, but not her family weeks ago? Maybe it took two, meditating at the same time, with the same thoughts and longings to bridge the distance? Yet, for just that moment, Rama was content. It seemed to be the only way to speak or reach out to her beloved and she was glad of what that might mean, yet she also knew that it might not last very long.

"I'm so glad to hear that Don is all right," she said, "I was so worried for him." She wondered, though, if she ought to bring up the matter of what Devon had wanted to ask her, before they left on the mission.

For a moment, however, she thought she had lost the tenuous hold that she and Devon had, since she couldn't sense him like she did a second earlier. Rama fearfully believed that, whatever force was helping them to connect, was already losing its strength. Yet, before she convinced herself that all was lost, her heart nearly sang out as she heard his thoughts once again.

"I was hoping to get the chance to tell you something,"' Devon admitted carefully, "only - I didn't seem to get that chance - before you - left us." There was another pause, and then he 'spoke' again, a feeling of longing conveyed in his thoughts, "I want you in my life Rama."

Rama smiled inwardly, she could feel tears warming her eyes as she took in his words and his feelings. Finally, she replied, almost insistently, "I want you, too. I don't know how we will, but I know we can work it out somehow, Devon, some way."

She didn't want to let go of him, not quite yet. She knew that if they both worked at the teleportation skill, then maybe there was a chance for both of them to be together again. Maybe they couldn't be together all the time, but being with one another every once in a while had to be better than not at all.

"I want to be with you, Devon, whenever I can,' she affirmed and then teased, "'Sides, you still have a promise to keep with me."

"Darn good insurance, that promise," Devon smirked with a laugh.

"The best," Rama agreed as she smiled in response.

"Rama, I love so you very much." Devon declared, "And, I want you to be my wife, to be the mother of our children. I need you so badly; it hurts not to have you here."

Rama's heart was near to bursting as it nearly did flip flops to hear his words. She had felt his intent long before the mission, yet Devon had seemed to always hesitate, never saying the words to her. She was certain that it was this which he wanted to tell her before leaving to rescue Don. Even though they were now literally worlds apart, without a clear defined way to physically reconnect, to hear such words from him would make all the difference to her.

Yet, his voice seemed fainter and even though she tried to respond and tell him 'yes' to his proposal, she didn't know if Devon had heard her reply or not. Her mental connections with Devon had passed and, try as she did to reach him again, her efforts were in vain. All that seemed to remain was the cold vacuum of space itself.

After a while, she opened her eyes. She was happy that she had the brief contact with him, but her heart filled with a deeper ache and longing to be with Devon and to feel his gentle touch again. She clung to the words that he had spoken to her, not wanting any of them to slip from her mind. Quickly, she slipped off her bed and over to her desk. Pulling out her journal from the middle drawer and taking up a pen, she sat down on the chair afforded her there and wrote out his last words to her. If that initial contact was the last communication that she would ever have with Devon, she wanted to write down each and every word he had said to her so that she would never forget them.

As she wrote her beloved's words onto the pages, Rama realized that Sensei was right. It was imperative that she learn to control this teleportation technique, if only then would she be free to truly travel across the vast distance that stood between her and Devon. Only when she had control would she be able to dispense of the deep pain in her heart and fulfill her desire to be with both her family and the man she loved and to whom she had given her heart.

As she finished writing down Devon's proposal and the words he had 'said' to her, Rama raised her head slightly and swallowed. She thought of their love together, the chance she lost with starting a family with Devon, and the seemingly unfair way that fate had dealt its hand to them. She would always treasure her time in his world, Devon's touch upon her, and the love he so deeply shared just a moment a go. Yet, before she could stop it, a single tear trickled down her cheek and then, unable to contain it, she released one small sob to break the silence of her room.

The End.

RAMICA'S COMMENTS:

Pretender: I am rather glad to hear we caught you by surprise and aren't totally predictable. Crying in school in computer lit class, not a good thing, are you sure you should have been reading our story in class? A gratitude for your insight.

Pacphys: You are catching up fast. Where is your sense of adventure, not mixing chemicals, isn't science all about exploring, investigating? I can see a young Rama wouldn't get along well with you, unless she treated you the way she treats Don in my " Reluctant Student" story. You made a valid point on the plane issue and now Reinbeauchaser has some correcting to do. Greatly appreciate you pointing that out. I don't know why I missed that I know a pilot of a large air line. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: Don't blame Reinbeauchaser, after all Rama is my character and as you can see things aren't as bad as they seemed. We did have you going though. LOL your ' fart" comment. A gratitude for your insight.

TB Reader: Sure you would enjoy watching that! As you can see there is no real need for bloodshed so everyone can calm down and relax. Most importantly put away all those weapons I am feeling quite battered enough at the moment, though it is only from a hard day of work. A gratitude for your insight.

REINBEAUCHASER'S COMMENTS:

PRETENDER FANACTIC: Ah, so we've pulled one over on ya, have we? Goodie:0) Well, it was supposed to be sad, so I'm glad you at least figured that one out. LOL Anyway, next time, take some tissue with you before reading anything on Fan Fiction at school. You've been a most faithful reader and reviewer and Ramica and I both appreciate your commitment to our story. Also, for pointing out any gaffs along the way! Considering how long this turned out to be, it speaks well of your perseverance. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Be blessed!

PACPHYS: Well, you're probably right about that, since it was a 747 that I took to the Philippines last year. Unless, Don had extra fuel tanks built into his 737. We can assume that or change it to a 747. I almost made it one, in fact, but changed my mind. I know that Lear Jets can hop, skip, and jump to Asia, though. Ah well, maybe that's what Rama and the others did, but we nixed the details on it. Yeah, leave it to an adult daughter of Michelangelo to point out the obvious, eh? LOL Don is still Don as you know him, but – well – a bit more worldly and wise, as well as rich beyond measure. Yes, Gabby has issues, major issues, and they get somewhat explained in chapter 59. But, looks like you have a bit of reading to do, before you get to it. Yipes, we wrote – Gabby? Wow, talk about a plot hole. Surprised that we weren't called on it before now. Hmm…Well, seems there's more for you to read and with this chapter now up, we're done. Doesn't mean the characters are done, but this story is finis, put to bed, or whatever other cliché works. Thanks for being such a fast, yet dedicated reader and reviewer. You condense very well, by the way. Be blessed.

LUNAR-NINJA: Ah, but siblings that love each other, despite their differences. At least, Devon didn't trash Gabby like he did in YD. Me? Kill Rama? Don't you know what happens to writers who kill or torture her? Just ask Ramica about that one. Of course, I gave Rama Devon, so maybe she'd be nicer to me, eh? LOL Rumor has it that she has her bags packed and ready to go whenever I need to borrow her. HA! That is, if we don't Deep-Six her first. ?Fart? Wow, getting rather expletive, aren't you? LOL Yes, grit your teeth even more since – well – this chapter still leaves much for an ending everyone wanted. Oh well…the whims of the writer(s) prevail once again. Bwahaha! Thanks for reading and reviewing and for sticking with us until the last line was written. With as long as this became to be, I bow before your tenacity! Be blessed.

TBREADER: Ha! Well, it was a joint effort between Ramica and me. So, the TMNT's are going to have to split up, somehow. Well, some of Fan Fiction is improving. I did have to re-save the main page, for some reason. My old short-cut to the site stopped working this week. I haven't tried the new 'Open Office' free download that they're offering. I'm waiting until my husband gets home tonight to see what it's all about. Well, thanks so much for hanging in there with us. We both know it was a long read, longer than we planned on writing. Again and one more time, thanks for reading and reviewing. Be blessed.