*Happy Summer, my friends, and may I just say...here we go again. :) I was in the midst of writing a drabble a couple of months ago for my family/romance oneshot series, and the short story took on a life of its own. I literally abandoned my drabbles to work full-time on the off-shoot fic.

There's a little catching up to do for this one, even if you're familiar with my regular series. Three and a half years have passed since Comfort & Joy, and there have been many changes. (Some of which were hinted at within my drabbles themselves. ;) If you've never read my series, you're going to encounter several unfamiliar faces. I'll bring you up to speed as we go along, or you have the option of checking out my Facebook page, Legacy of Loyalty. It includes profiles and a little background on all of my original characters.

I do not own the TMNT, or follow an existing story-line within the canon. The snippets of a song that appear in this chapter are from "Memories", which is by Within Temptation.

I'm not sure how I feel about this fic yet. I only know that it needed to be written, whether I'm happy with the final result or not. Thank you for reading and reviewing...thank you for being my friends. Whether you're a small-time fanfiction author like myself, or one of the most epic ninjas of all times, those relationships matter. Sometimes they're the difference between life and death. Sometimes they just change your life.

I will leave you with one quote before temporarily signing off and letting the fic take over: "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." C.S. Lewis

Usually when I try to focus on the details of what happened, rational thought escapes me. Rather than memories of real events, there are pictures, fragments of moments interspersed with fear that sometimes grips me in the middle of the night.

It's not as if we hadn't been in mortal danger before - there are too many occasions to count. It certainly wasn't the first time we've been set up. But out of all the enemies we've faced and the number of injuries I've survived, I can't remember feeling that helpless or impotent.

I never imagined what I'd be able to sacrifice when I had no other choice. It came down to me. It wasn't fair! I shouldn't have had to choose on my own. I was responsible for the decision that determined whether or not my brothers and I would survive.

If it had only concerned me, my choice might have been different. When I look back now, I don't regret my decision, but I'll never be able to forget what it felt like. Risking that which I'd always sworn to protect was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? It makes more sense to start at the beginning of it all. We thought we knew what we were getting into. We're not the same turtles we were as teenagers. We learned not to take things for granted, and to prepare for every possible scenario. No matter what we thought we knew, that night was a game-changer for all of us.

It reminds me of something Sensei used to say: 'Your greatest risk doesn't exist in times of trouble and adversity, but when you're resting in the complacency of peace. Your guard is much lower when you feel secure than when you understand the true danger lurking in the shadows...

(Two Months Earlier)

Leonardo sighed longingly. They were closer to the action than he'd imagined they would be, but he still wished he could see things better. Despite Donatello's repeated offer of digital binoculars, watching the scene through the zoom lens wasn't completely satisfying.

The blue-masked turtle looked away from the Amphitheatre, glancing at Michelangelo out of the corner of his eye. The youngest turtle was lounging on the grassy overlook as though he was on a picnic, but his crossed arms indicated that he hadn't gotten over being irritated.

"We coulda brought them, Leo," Mike said sullenly. "No one's gonna bother us up here. Even if they tried, we'd be long gone before they caught up to us or the kids."

Leo gave him a wry smile. "I've heard your side of the argument in fine detail. You were outnumbered on this one; don't look at me like I'm the killjoy."

"If you'd give this a chance—"

Raphael's arm clapped across the orange-masked turtle's shell. "It's just one night, Mikey, and the kids are having all kinds of fun at home. You know Hisui spoils 'em when we're not around. They couldn't wait for us to get out the door."

Mike wasn't giving up easily. "I'm just saying, we want them to be exposed to stuff like this right? That's why we don't take them away entirely. They would have loved the show."

"This won't be their last opportunity for all of time and eternity, Mike," Don offered.

"We can barely see anything as it is," Leo murmured.

"I see plenty," Donatello returned. "You would too if you'd use the binoculars. There are plenty of pairs to go around, Bro. Don't you want to see your girl?"

"I've looked; I haven't found her yet."

"That's 'cause her and Kari's group aren't up for another ten minutes," Raphael supplied.

"The program said—"

"Karina texted me; things got delayed, Fearless. Don't get your shell in a knot over nothing. You're still gonna get to see them."

Leonardo huffed softly and shifted positions on the ground. In the crowded Amphitheatre beneath them lay a large crowd of shadowed figures, all waiting for the program to catch up to its original schedule.

Tonight's "field-trip" to New Jersey was about much more than entertainment. It not only marked the début of Karina's and Calley's first set of students to the Festival, but it was also a homecoming of sorts for his blond-haired wife. Calley's excitement over the return to a Theatre she'd danced in during her youth had been infectious for weeks. A smile returned to his face as he pictured the woman getting ready for the stage.

The last three years had been a blur of changes for their entire family. Despite Leonardo's initial reluctance to leave the only home the turtles had ever known to move into the historic train station, he recognized the time had come to leave the comfortable nest Splinter had foraged for them when they were young. As overwhelming as it felt, the changes were needed, he reaffirmed. We ran out of room to grow in the old Den. Our group expanded a lot more than we anticipated it could.

The renovations and customization of the underground station had taken over a year, and the redesigning of the building that stood over it took almost another two. Their family and close friends all had space of their own in a nicer format than Leonardo had ever dreamed of, yet they'd already grown closer in that time. I never thought I'd see the day when a "house call" from Doc would require nothing more than an elevator ride. It's crazy how much has changed in the last couple of years. I guess that's what happens when all of our smartest people band together for a common cause.

The flash of spotlights near the distant stage caused Leonardo to perk up and reach for his gifted binoculars. He focused first on the middle of the platform and then swept over to the far right side, where the outline of a woman was hovering near the curtain out of the brighter stage-lights. He recognized Karina after a moment and exhaled. They must be really close.

Leonardo stayed fixed on that spot, expecting that Calley would appear from the same place. The curtain stirred behind the bronze-haired woman and several smaller figures passed by Karina, seeking out positions on the stage. He glanced over the youths briefly, recognizing each of the students.

He'd watched the girls coming to and leaving the studio almost every week on the video feed, but was looking forward to seeing the real fruit of Karina's and Calley's labor with them. At the same time, he couldn't help wondering where his wife was. The ten-year-olds were nervous; he could read the butterflies in their posture, but their expressions were relaxed.

When a familiar instrumental began building from the orchestra pit, the blue-masked turtle adjusted the viewfinder to take in a wider picture of the platform. He'd heard the song so many times between Karina's choreographing and Jenna's rehearsing, it occasionally replayed in his dreams.

Hearing it live with the sound of a full band behind it along with the anticipation of seeing the dance gave him a much grander, soaring feeling. Leonardo shifted his binoculars over the musicians until he located Jenna. The raven-haired woman refused to stand at the forefront, but her voice permeated the outdoor theatre like she was everywhere at once.

"In this world you tried

Not leaving me alone behind

There's no other way

I prayed to the God, let him stay

The memories ease the pain inside

Now I know why…"

Leonardo couldn't resist glancing back at Donatello, and he grinned over his purple-masked brother's intent "listening" look. He almost said something to the younger turtle, but decided to let him enjoy the moment. Instead he returned his attention to the stage and the dance that was unfolding without him.

The dazzling colors of the young girls' costumes created a kaleidoscope effect that was stunning to watch, even through the limited view of binoculars. Pride swelled over the work and training that their wives and the students had put into the routine, but a pang of regret followed it. This is one of those times when I wish I was normal. I'd love to meet their students in person…but we can't afford to keep growing, or we're going to have to build a skyscraper. He almost chuckled, and the negative feeling dissipated.

"Together in all these memories

I see your smile

All the memories I hold dear

Darling, you know I'll love you 'til the end of time…"

Leonardo clenched the binoculars tighter when he saw the curtain stir once more, and another figure emerged in white. From the height of the dancer alone, he knew it had to be Calley. She flowed seamlessly inside of the girls' existing choreography, melding with each of the other dancers in turn like a gentle breeze that had overtaken the platform.

"All of my memories keep you near

In silent moments, imagine you'd be here

All of my memories keep you near

Your silent whispers, silent tears

All of my memories…"

Calley didn't approach the front of the stage until the ending of the song, and that was when he could finally capture the joy in her face. The way she tilted her head made him feel like she knew he was watching, and the sudden urge to clap along with audience below was strong.

The only way the moment would have been better was if he could have supported Calley on the front-lines with the rest of their family. He couldn't make out their friends in the darkened seating, but he knew they'd formed their own cheering section as close to the stage as possible. Only Hisui and her boyfriend Kouhei remained at home that night with the children, giving everyone else the chance to attend the Festival.

Several of the others had offered to stay farther off with the turtles, but they'd pushed the humans to sit in the Amphitheatre. Just because we have to be penalized for what we are doesn't mean they have to be. Our family does enough for us.

"Thank you. Thank you all very much." The sound of Karina's voice drew Leonardo to the other side of the platform. "It means so much for us to be a part o—" The woman was mid-sentence when the sound inexplicably cut out.

In the time it took for Leonardo's eye-ridges to rise, the stage-lights were also plunged into darkness. He lowered his binoculars and turned to his younger brothers. "That's weird."

Mike snickered. "Not as weird as the Superdome losing power in the middle of the Superbowl. Donny, they might need your help down there, Bro."

Raphael growled under his breath. "Shut it, Pipsqueak; this ain't funny. They're supposed to be doing another number. Somebody better be fixing it."

The purple-masked turtle shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time that an outdoor event—"

An explosion of rapid gunfire made Leonardo jerk to his feet in shock. He sensed his brothers instantly huddle up behind him, but there was little else they could do but listen as the gunfire unloaded a second time, somewhere underneath them in the Amphitheatre.

"Semi-automatic…gotta be some kind of assault rifle," Don said tightly.

Panic struck the crowd before Leonardo could orient where the sound originated from. He made a split-second decision to move without announcing a plan, but giving directions to his brothers was unnecessary. He was mid-run when he noticed Don fiddling with his binoculars.

"Switching to infrared! We need to get some eyes down there, Leo!"

The blue-masked turtle was nodding his agreement when he felt his phone vibrate. He didn't bother looking at the facing of the device before he answered. "Talk to me!"

"Leo, you guys need to hold your position!" Greg's familiar voice barked at him.

"Not happening, Heff!"

The man cursed. "Just once, would you listen to me without putting up a fight?"

Leonardo didn't get to reply, because the simultaneous blast of gunfire echoed through the Amphitheatre a third time, and much louder through the speaker of the phone held up to his ear.