A/N: I know I said I was going to wait a while to update the next fic but it just came to me and I had to start it. My updates may be a bit slower than normal as I'm still working on finishing Same Side of a Different Coin, which I've got a good jump on and plan to finish soon. But in the meantime here is number eighteen in the series. Enjoy!

"No! That's not high enough! Keep your leg straighter!"

Donnie stepped from the lab with a puzzled expression. On the couch Mikey looked up from a comic book and Sarah stepped out of the kitchen. The three exchanged a look of confusion.

"No! That's still not right!"

The three moved towards the dojo. They stopped in the doorway to see Leo standing with his hands on his hips and glaring at Shinta. The eight-year-old was standing with his leg nearly straight up in the air and a pained look on his face. The boy's bottom lip trembled precariously and he looked like he might burst into tears any minute.

"You need to pay attention! This is important!"

The three adults in the doorway exchanged another confused and worried look before Donnie spoke. "Anything wrong, Leo?"

The eldest brother turned to them with a frown. "No."

"Well, it sure sounds like it, bro." Mikey said with a frown of his own.

"Nothing's wrong." Leo folded his arms across his chest with a huff.

Sarah scowled. "Then why are you shouting at Shinta?" She gestured to the young turtle. "Come on Shinta, that's enough training for today." The boy gave his father a quick look and then sprinted across the room to his aunt, burying his face in her midsection.

It was Leo's turn to scowl. "I haven't dismissed him yet."

Sarah glared and open her mouth to speak, but Donnie put a hand on her arm. He shifted his gaze to the living room and she understood. Wrapping her arms around Shinta she turned them into the other room, leaving the brothers alone. Donnie turned to glare at his brother. "Leo, what has gotten into you?"

Mikey frowned. "Yeah, you've never yelled at any of the kids before."

Leo shot him a glare. "I do when they're not paying attention."

"But bro, you've been extra hard on Shinta lately." Mikey continued.

"Yeah, there's something obviously bothering you." Donnie gave his brother an examining gaze. His body was tense, his muscles balled into knots. He even seemed to be trembling some. Clinically he assessed him as stressed and frustrated. "I know you've been stressed out lately, but you really shouldn't take it out on Shinta."

Leo spun on him, anger flaring in his blue eyes. "Where do you get off trying to tell me how to raise my child!"

Donnie frowned, his gaze softening a bit. "We're not telling you how to raise your son, Leo."

Mikey waved a hand in the air. "We just think you're being a little rough on the kid. Just because he's your kid doesn't mean he's gonna pick up things as fast as you did."

Donnie stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Remember that Amaya is a part of him too."

Leo shoved his hand from his shoulder. "I know that. I see it every time I look into his eyes. And that's exactly why I can't go easy on him. He has to learn this stuff. He has to learn to be strong. So he won't end up like her."

Mikey shook his head. "Bro, that was a fluke. We won't let it happen again."

Donnie gave a sad nod. "Mikey's right. What happened to her was the perfect storm. It was all the wrong things happening at the right times that allowed him to slip into our home. But Shinta will always be protected. He will always be safe."

Leo shook his head. "She wasn't." He left the dojo, snatching a coat and headed for the sewer entrance. He needed some air.

in the next room Sarah held Shinta as they sat on his bed. The young turtle sniffled, wiping at his eyes. "Daddy's mad at me, but I don't know why."

Sarah stroked his head and arms, trying to comfort him. "He's not really mad at you. He just hasn't been herself lately." She sighed, kissing his head. Leo had been acting a bit strange the past few weeks. He seemed tense and standoffish, and certainly not his calm cool collected self. She wondered if over the years he had become bitter towards them for their continued happiness and companionship. She sighed again. No, Leo wasn't that type. He begrudged his family nothing. But he was certainly lonely, that was a fact that could not be denied.

She gave Shinta another squeeze. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll make you something special for dinner, okay?"

He nodded and laid down. "Neenee, why do I make Daddy so sad?"

She knelt beside his bed and gave him a sad smile. "It's not you that makes him sad, sweetheart. He just misses your mom." She pulled the covers up around him. "He loves you very much and so do we. Now get some sleep." She shut off the lights, leaving a crack in the door.

Shinta watched her leave with a frown. He wasn't so sure that was the real reason his dad was sad or why he was so upset with him lately. It was beginning to feel more and more like he was disappointing him. The boy sighed. He just wasn't good enough for his father. His gaze shifted to the other side of the room. Yoshi's bed was unmade and his side of the room was plastered with posters of motorcycles and hotrod's with pretty girls leaning across them.

He frowned as he remembered what happened earlier in the day. Kaz and Yoshi had decided to go out, unaccompanied and without permission. They had sworn him to silence and refused to take him with them. As he got older, Shinta was beginning to realize that he was the odd turtle out. He was too young and too small to do the things that Kaz and Yoshi did. And with the arrival of K-three, Mira rarely showed him any attention either. And even the adults with the new holo- projectors were more distracted, making as much use of the new devices as they could. And somehow he had started to feel left out, neglected and forgotten.

He sat up in the bed and looked around. Well, if he was so forgotten then they wouldn't miss him if he was gone. A tear trickled down his cheek as he moved to the trunk that held his winter clothes. He didn't want to see the disappointed look in his father's eyes anymore or feel like he was bothering the others just to hold a conversation or play a game. He didn't want to be a burden anymore. It was best he just left. They'd all be happier without him hanging around.

He pulled on the pants, the large sweater and knit cap then grabbed a pair gloves. He knew it was cold outside. They'd gone to the park to play in the snow just a few weeks ago. He pushed open the door to his room slowly and looked out. The lair beyond was quiet except for the loud music coming from Kaz's room down the hall. Which he knew was unoccupied.

He moved quietly to the sewer entrance and looked up at the panel at least two feet above his head. He'd seen them type the code in often enough that he knew what it was. But the panel was too far up for him to reach and he'd never tried it before.

Considering his options, he headed back to his room and got his small desk chair and carried it over to the sewer entrance. He climbed up and quickly typed in the code. The door scraped softly as it opened. He quickly returned the chair to his room then hurried through the entrance and into the tunnel beyond. He paused a few yards down to look over her shoulder, feeling a tinge of fear in his heart. Then he set his jaw with determination, his blue-gray eyes growing cold. They won't miss me.

Leo leaned against the tree trunk high up in the evergreen's branches, the dark purple sky of dusk above him. His brothers were right, there was something wrong with him. The problem was he didn't know what it was either. He felt agitated and restless. And he knew it wasn't Shinta's fault. It had been ages since they'd had a good fight with anyone and right now he would've really liked one. Despite his age of nearly fifty, his body was still finely toned and it still needed the occasional brawl to release pent-up stress.

He drew in a cold breath, shivering a bit. Winter had hung around a lot longer this year than normal, the temperature hadn't been higher than freezing in the past two weeks. Maybe that was it. Maybe he was just feeling a little stir-crazy. His brothers and their wives had been taking advantage of the holo- projectors, going to movies and plays and walks in the park. Things they had only dreamed of just a few years ago. Things he had long to do with Amaya. But now had no reason to want them and so he just mainly hung around the lair.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a lone figure stepping out onto the ice of the pond beneath him. It was a woman with light wavy brown hair. Little ringlets framed her face where a pair of blue rimmed glasses perched on her little nose. She paused at the edge and looked around to be certain she was alone and then stepped out onto the ice. He watched her glide on her skates doing simple movements at first, warming up for what he knew was coming. He'd seen this particular woman three or four times now. Not that he'd intended to see her more than once, but each time he became more fascinated with her. Although her legs were slim they were powerful. He watched her gain speed until she was going fast enough to do a leap and then a twirl on one foot and then the other. His eyes moved up her body from the tight thighs to the small bottom and slender waist to rest momentarily on her round breasts. He felt his body heat, reacting to her very feminine shape.

His eyes continued the progression upwards along the pale skin of her neck and the high cheekbones that were flushed red with the cool air and her exertions. Her eyes were closed even as she did another leap through the air and landed gracefully. Her small pink lips were pressed together in concentration, but the corners twitched now and then with just a hint of a small smile.

Leo licked his lips wondering what hers might taste like. And in the same moment he felt guilt wash over him. Each time he'd seen this girl his guts had twisted, his mind and body fighting each other. His mind filling him with guilt for Amaya and at the same time his body reacting to the lovely creature that danced across the ice before him.

He frowned as a family approached the pond and the woman came to a stop. She watched the family for a moment and then simply skated over to the edge and climbed off the ice. It had been the same nearly each time he'd watched her. She'd stay as long as she was alone, but the moment anyone else showed up she would leave. He watched her plop into the snowbank just beneath his tree and remove her skates. Once she had replaced them with a pair of fuzzy boots she flopped backwards into the snow and closed her eyes.

He shuddered with a tinge of envy, watching the tiny snowflakes caress the skin of her cheeks and neck. The tiny smile pulled at her lips again and she opened her brown eyes. He held his breath. If he moved even the slightest she would see him. She stared up at him and he stared right back. Finally, with a sigh she rolled herself over and headed off through the park. The desire to follow and the desire to stay fault within him. At last he gave a resigned sigh of his own, his hand coming up to touch the stone around his neck absently.

I should go home. I need to apologize to Shinta anyways. My agitation has nothing to do with him and everything to do with me.

"Hurry up, Yoshi!" Kaz charged across the rooftops at breakneck speed.

Yoshi panted, grumbling as he raced after his cousin. He leapt from one roof to the next with ease. Although he hadn't officially started patrolling with his family yet, he and Kaz had snuck out dozens of times. Which was a pretty good feat considering how many eyes watched them. So, running the rooftops was very familiar by now.

Kaz skidded to a stop on a roof not far ahead and he jumped the gap to land beside him. Yoshi had hit his expected growth spirt and stood only an inch shorter than his older cousin. But their true difference was in the shape of the bodies. Kaz was lean and tall, while Yoshi was bulky and heavy with muscle. As they'd gotten older they'd started to get along better, understanding their unique situation.

Kaz grinned as he pointed at the building across the street. Throngs of human teens were trying to get through the doors. "Check it out."

Yoshi folded his arms in a very good impression of his father. "This is a bad idea, Kazzey. We can't just walk in the front door. Even with the holos, we wouldn't be able to avoid touching all those people."

Kaz shook his head with a grin. "Who said we're using the front door?" He pointed at the roof of the building. "We're taking the ninja entrance."

Yoshi frowned. Kaz was reckless at times. He felt his courage waver just a bit. "Tell me again why we didn't bring K-three?"

Kaz snorted. "He'd have said no, just like the rest of them."

Yoshi's frown intensified. He could certainly see why. What Kaz was proposing was risky. "I don't know, Kaz…"

Kaz smirked. "What's the matter, chicken?" He stood on the ledge and tossed his grappler across to the street.

"Chicken!" Yoshi barked as Kaz swung across to land on the other side.

The older boy waited with a smirk, knowing that his younger cousin was sure to take the bait. And he did as he landed on the roof a few seconds later. "Come on! Or we'll miss the opening band."

Yoshi shrugged and headed after him. He'd already snuck out, might as well enjoy the show.

Shinta pushed aside the grate and pulled himself into an alley. He'd tried the manhole but it had been too heavy for him. But because he'd had to find a different exit, he wasn't so sure of where he was anymore. He pulled the hood up on his jacket and stared out at the world beyond the alley. Fear suddenly raced through him. What was he doing? He'd heard some terrible stories from his family about the surface. And he'd never been up here without his father.

He bit his lip and looked down at the grate. If he went home now, maybe he wouldn't get in trouble. Then he remembered the look in his father's eyes, the disappoint and frustration. He frowned. He couldn't go home, not until he'd make him proud of him again.

He began to walk down the alley, the cold air biting at any exposed skin. The sky above him was dark but he continued on. He kept to the shadows whenever a human got a little too close for comfort. He walked for what seemed like hours. His stomach rumbled reminding him that he had left before having any dinner. At last he found a small alcove with a few large boxes. He curled into a ball inside one, exhausted and hungry, feeling as discarded as the trash around him.

Sarah pulled the lasagna from the oven and put in the cookies. Shinta would appreciate the warm desert and maybe it would make him feel better. In the distance she heard the elevator doors open and the voices of her family as they came down from the garage. She turned to smile at them as she set the lasagna on the table.

Mira smiled. "Hey, Mom, do you need any help?"

Sarah smiled back. "No, it's done. But could you get Shinta for me. He's taking a nap."

Kala made a face. "A nap?" Shinta had grown out of naps a while ago.

Sarah frowned. "He was a little upset, so I suggested he take one."

"Upset about what?" Cat settled at the table beside Kala.

"Leo yelled at him."

"Yeah, for no reason either." Mikey stepped into the room with Donnie. They'd been working in the lab the last few hours.

Raph scowled. "What is his problem lately?"

Mikey sat beside Kala. "We've been wondering the same thing. He's been really off the last few weeks."

Mira frowned. "I'll go get Shinta."

"Could you let Kaz and Yoshi know dinner's ready too? They've got the music blaring again." Mikey asked his niece.

Mira nodded as she stepped past the others into the living room. She went to the bedroom Shinta and Yoshi shared and opened the door slowly. Frowning she opened it all the way and flipped on the light. There was no sign of her smallest cousin. She stared at the old teddy tucked in the corner of his bed. The thread worn bear stared back at her accusingly.

Shaking herself of the odd sensation, she thought maybe he was in Kaz's room. She headed down the hall to bang on the teen's door. She could hear the music blaring loudly on the other side. "Kaz, Yoshi!" She listened for a response, but there wasn't any. Frowning, she took hold of knob and opened the door. Her eyes widened. There was no one in the room. A touch of panic shot through her. Where were they?

K-three stepped out of the kitchen as she headed back. He'd sensed her rising alarm. "What is it?"

She opened her mouth, but stopped as Leo appeared through the sewer entrance. "Hey, why was the door open?" His greeting was a bit subdued but he immediately noticed the slight fear on her face. "What's going on?"

"I can't find them." She started, her heart beginning to race.

Leo frowned at her. "Them?"

Raph and Mikey stepped into the doorway as she explained. "Kaz, Yoshi and Shinta. I can't find them."

"What!" Leo, Raph and Mikey all exclaimed at once.

A/N: Poor little Shinta... ;_;

Oh, and thank you, whoever nominated me for Best New Author in the Stealthy Stories contest. I really appreciate it! It warms me all the way to my toes... 3