Disclaimer: Got no right to my gorgeous green boys.
A/N: I thought you guys deserved something you could really sink your teeth into. My family lives along the Gulf so we have had so many of hurricanes, most of the time we don't even pay attention to them unless they are going to land right on top of us. That is not to say I recommend that anyone stay through them. Because they are quite unpredictable. I dedicate this fic to all those who have perished in one.
"See, I told you guys it wasn't coming this way." Mikey pointed at the TV.
The weatherman was talking about a hurricane. It was currently moving parallel to the eastern coast. It was pretty large and had yet to make landfall anywhere, which meant it was also very powerful. It most likely was going to turn and fade out over the Atlantic but they predicted a slight chance that it would continue up the coast to New York, gaining strength from a front that was coming from the south.
"It's better to be prepared than not, Mikey." Leo explained for the hundredth time.
Sarah cuddled her daughter to her chest. Despite all their preparations, she couldn't help but worry. Donnie wrapped his arm around his spouse. "We've done all we can and if things get too bad, we'll head up to the garage." He placed a soft kiss in her hair. She leaned into him trying to draw strength from him. But Sarah could sense even her mate was not as confident as he appeared.
They had already gotten sand bags for the garage, enough to build a four foot wall around the building. Luckily Cat's shop didn't have any windows so they wouldn't need to board it up.
Cat, who was currently sitting in Raph's lap, frowned. "Maybe we should take some supplies up top, just in case."
Raph tightened his grip on her waist, as he looked at the cyclone on the TV. Something told him his wife was right. "Ditto."
"I agree as well. We should place some food and fresh water at the garage." Splinter stood behind the couch rubbing his chin.
Mikey groaned. "But Sensei, we just got through sealing up all the tunnels around the lair. Do we have to carry supplies all the way to the garage too?"
"We can use the sewer slider. You can even drive, Mikey." Leo encouraged his younger brother.
This only seemed to sedate the youngest brother slightly. He grumbled and turned back to the TV. Donnie ran a gentle hand over Mira's small round head. "Maybe we can wait a little longer though. Let's wait to see what the storm does first."
"That's cool with me, but can we at least watch something else for a little while?" Mikey snatched the remote from Leo.
He was about to protest when Mira crawled across Donnie and into his lap. Leo smiled down at the little turtle and accepted her affectionate hugs. The two year old had taken much more of a liking to him since Donnie and Sarah had started letting him be primary babysitter in their absence. Sarah smiled at them before getting up and heading into the bedroom.
Frowning, Donnie followed. He watched as she sat on the side of their bed. He could feel her unease. "What's bothering you?" He sat beside her and pushed a stray hair behind her ear.
She looked down at her hands. "I don't know exactly. I just have a bad feeling."
"About the hurricane?" Donnie wrapped his arms around her again. He wasn't used to not being able to make his mate feel better. But in this particular case there wasn't much else he could do.
Sarah leaned her head on his shoulder, savoring his warm embrace. "Yeah, maybe." She placed a kiss under his chin. "Don't worry. It's probably nothing."
He brushed a hand through her long dark hair. "If it'd make you feel better we can pack a few things to take to the garage when we take the food."
She slipped her arms around him and nodded. "I think it would. At least that will give me something to do for the next few hours."
"I could find other ways of distracting you." He teased and lifted her chin to kiss her.
Sarah smiled. "That might be-" She paused when there came a sneeze from the living room, followed by a soft whimper.
"Ew! That's totally gross." Mikey sputtered. The couple rose and returned to the living room. Leo and Splinter were watching Mira with concern. Mikey was whipping the back of his head. "Next time can you aim her at Raph?"
Sarah sat beside Leo and took Mira. She gave her a cursory exam. The little tot didn't look like she was sick. Donnie sat beside her and did the same. Mira wasn't running a fever and she didn't have a runny nose either. "Do you feel okay, sweetie?" Sarah already knew the answer. She could tell Mira was more annoyed she'd been taken from her comfy spot in Leo's lap than anything else.
Mira nodded her head. "I'm okay." Like all things the little turtle had developed speech quickly.
Sarah turned her gaze to Donnie. She couldn't ever remember him being sick or any of them for that matter. He shook his head at her unasked question. "I don't even remember catching a cold."
"There is only once to my recollection that my sons were ever ill. But they were well into their teens." Splinter leaned over the edge of the couch to look at his grandchild. Mira took this as an invitation and reached out for him. The old rat scooped her up and she cuddled into his fur.
Donnie rubbed his chin. "Maybe it has something to do with combining our DNA. It's made her a little more susceptible to human sicknesses."
Sarah didn't like the sound of that. Living in the sewers no matter how much you cleaned, it still was a sewer and sicknesses were abound. She found herself pacing a moment later as she tried to think this through. They didn't have very much in the way of medicine and what they did have was for adults. Besides she couldn't give those things to Mira anyway, her system was different and it would probably react like Donnie's would. That could mean an overdose. She definitely was not risking that. She paused to look at Splinter. "Master, do you have herbs we can give her if this turns out to be something worse than a cold?"
Splinter thought that over for a moment and then sighed. "I'm afraid I do not. Most of my herbs are for healing injuries, not illnesses."
"We do have some chamomile tea." Leo provided.
Donnie's eyes had lost focus as he too had been thinking it over. He finally focused on his mate. "Elderberries…"
She opened her mouth to respond but a noise came from the TV and everyone turned to see what had happened. The weatherman was back on despite the fact that Mikey had changed the channel. This new man was grimed faced as he announced the hurricane had changed course and was now headed straight for the city it would hit in less than ten hours. The National Weather Service was recommending a city wide evacuation. The storm was already at a category three and was expected to reach a four before landfall.
Donnie jumped to his feet as Sarah paled, wrapping her in a steady arm. Mira turned to look at them in Splinter's arms. Sarah saw this and tried to reel in the overwhelming panic that was rising in her. Something was wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on it. She looked up at her husband, meeting his concerned gaze. She tried to send him reassurance but it was apparent she fell short when he did not move from her side. "Elderberries."
He blinked, then nodded. "Yes, they hold immune boosting abilities. It would certainly be safe to give her."
Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose, remembering the recipe. "I think we have everything else we'll need for syrup but we don't have that particular ingredient." She looked up at Raph. "Raph?"
He growled in annoyance. "Sarah, you promised."
"Raph, please…"
His eyes flickered about the room, but paused when they landed on the tot in his father's arms. "Yeah, I do."
Everyone except Sarah and Cat blinked at him in confusion. "You do what, dude?" Mikey asked.
Cat stood allowing Raph to get up. "I know a place to get some."
Leo stood as well. "Alright, why don't you two go get them and we'll head over to the garage and start putting the sandbags out. We'll meet you there. Mikey go pack a cooler of food and not just frozen pizzas." He took a deep breath, the next day or two were going to be rough. "If you got anything important you want to take, you better get it. Who knows how long it may take before we can get back here."
"Or in what condition things will be when we do." Donnie added.
9 Hours till landfall
An hour later, Cat and Raph placed their bags in the slider then headed for the surface. They climbed to the rooftop where Raph's garden was. Cat looked around. She was still amazed that Raphael had created something so beautiful. "Are you sure you have what we need?"
Raph frowned as he looked on the garden. "Yeah, I just wish I could do somethin' with the rest of these guys." He brushed his hand over the other plants, as if he was telling them he was sorry.
"You could always move your garden to the roof of the garage."
Raph shook his head. "Nah, the guys would find me there. And that would kinda defeat the point of havin' a garden." He walked across the roof and picked up a plant. He scrutinized it for a moment. "I sure hope this'll do. It's kinda late in the year and there aren't many berries left." He handed the plant to Cat. "I have one more I want to grab."
Once Raph found it, they headed for the garage. The skies above them cracked with thunder and rain began to pour just as they made it inside. They had beaten the others there and so after placing the plants in a safe place, Raph helped Cat move tools and other important items from the floor.
Below, Leo and Mikey placed the last of the provisions in the slider. The vehicle was now very full. In fact, there wasn't much room for them to sit. Donnie took the bag of clothes from Sarah. "I'll come back for you, Mira, and Master Splinter. "
Sarah clutched little Mira in her arms. Fear was not only evident in their bond but also in her face. "How long will it be?"
He hugged her. "I'll come back as quick as I can, but it still may be an hour or two. We have to put the sandbags out around the garage." He kissed her forehead. "Go ahead and get anything else you want to bring, okay?"
She gave a shaky nod and his heart almost broke. Mira whimpered in her arms. Although she was a clever little tot, this situation was far beyond her two year old understanding. But her empathic senses were telling her that everyone was very upset. "Daddy?"
Donnie bent to brush a soft kiss on his daughter's head. "I'll be right back. You stay with Mommy and be a good girl."
"Come on Donnie. We need to go." Leo hopped into the slider and sat on top of the cooler.
Mikey grinned as he took his place behind the wheel. "Yeah, let's go."
Donnie touched his mate's cheek. She didn't have to say anything. He already knew she was scared and he tried to reassure her once more. "I'll be back soon. I swear."
She gave him another shaky nod and he could tell that inside she was struggling to stay calm. Reluctantly he turned and found a place aboard the slider. He glanced back at her as the vehicle took off. His guts twisted as he thought he saw tears trickling down her cheeks.
8 Hours till landfall
Sarah turned away from the entrance to the lair and brushed away the tears. She steeled her nerves. She had to stay strong for Mira. If she let too much of her fear overwhelm her then Mira would start to panic. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that Donnie would never leave them if he thought they'd be in danger. She relaxed slightly and headed for their bedroom.
"Mommy, are you okay?"
Sarah smiled at her. "Yes, sweetie. Now we need to pack a few things for you." Entering their bedroom, she turned to the left where they had built out a small bedroom for their daughter. "Why don't you help me pick out your favorite things?"
Mira hopped down and ran straight for her books. She picked up an arm full. "Can we take all of them?"
Sarah couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe not all of them. Why don't we pick out your favorites, okay?"
For some time they picked out books and toys, and Sarah placed them in a backpack. Then they moved to the kitchen to pick out some snacks. Sarah noticed that Mikey hadn't gotten any of Mira's formula. She didn't blame him. The truth was they hadn't been using much of it of late. Mira had already transitioned to more solid foods and they only used it now when she didn't like what was made for dinner or when Mikey made pizzas with some wild topping.
Sarah kept Mira close as she finished packing a few jars of the formula. When the little turtle yawned, she picked her up. "I forgot it was your nap time."
Mira laid her head on her mother's shoulder as she was carried back into the bedroom. "Mommy, will you take nap with me?"
Sarah paused just inside the bedroom. She felt a bit guilty for working the toddler up earlier. Fear still pressed the back of her mind and she reached out for the bond. Donnie was distracted. His emotions merely reflected he was busy and that he was worried. She sighed. Perhaps a nap would be a good idea after all. So, she laid Mira on the master bed and crawled in beside her, covering them in the soft comforter.
6 Hours till landfall
"I'm thirsty, Mommy."
Sarah opened her eyes. She hadn't really slept. It was very hard to do that when her mate was not nearby. She had dozed only slightly and it didn't take much effort to wake fully. "Alright." Sarah swung her legs over the edge of the bed and gave a surprised shout as cold water hit her toes instead of the warmth of her slippers.
"Oh, no!" The only light in the room was coming from the open doorway. She could see the water cascading over the lip of the entrance into the room. "This is so not good!" Grabbing Mira, she plunged her shoeless feet back into the frigid water. It was a little over an inch deep and was rising. Running as quickly as she could towards Splinter's room, she paused only momentarily to stare at the entrance to the lair which was now a gushing stream. "Master Splinter!"
The aged rat's room was a little more elevated than the rest of the lair and so he was unaware of the growing danger. He appeared in his doorway to gasp at the sight that met him. "We must go. Now!"
Sarah had no issue with that. She grabbed the backpack and pulled in on as she followed Splinter from the lair. The water was rising quickly it was already nearly to their knees and they were barely twenty feet from the lair. "It's the storm surge. We have to hurry!" Sarah called over the sound of water. Mira was crying now sensing the panic in her mother and grandfather.
"We must get to higher ground." Splinter said hurrying as quickly as he could through the cold water. It was now nearly to their waist. Mira let out a little squeal as it made contact with her foot.
Sarah spoke firmly to her daughter. "Mira, hold on tight." The little turtle nodded and grabbed handfuls of her mother's clothes. She remained silent on instinct, as the water continued to rise.
Both Sarah and Splinter were relatively short, barely five foot and the water that now swirled violently around them was four. It had only been a matter of minutes for the tunnel to become a river that threatened to swallow them. Splinter took hold of one of Sarah's arms trying to keep them together. But she was suddenly swept off her feet as a large piece of debris crashed into her back. Splinter gasped as she was ripped from his grip by the current.
Mira screamed and for a split second Sarah's mind cried out as well. Then her instincts kicked. She had to protect her child at all cost. Scanning her surroundings in the dimness, she spotted her lifeline. A ladder leading up to the next level of tunnels hung from the wall. Pushing off the debris that had struck her from behind, she reached out just in time to catch it. For a moment she clung to it with white knuckles.
A sound down the tunnel made her look up. Splinter was fighting the current and debris. The water level now was over their heads. "Father!" Sarah used her body to press Mira against the ladder as she reached out as far as she dare. Luckily he was close enough to catch her hand. Sarah struggled to keep hold of him, her daughter and the ladder. By pure will she pulled him to her.
He grasped the ladder and pulled himself quickly up into the tunnel above. "Take her!" Sarah pleaded as the current threatened to sweep them away again. Splinter quickly pulled the frightened child from her mother and out of danger.
Sarah reached for the next rung of the ladder to pull herself up, as Splinter bent to help her. "Sarah!" He cried. Her scream ripped through him. It was swallowed by the water as another piece of rubbish struck her. This time she went under and did not come back up. "No!" The old rat clung to the little turtle in his arms as she began to wail. His eyes drifted down to his grandchild. There was nothing he could do now for her mother. He had to get the child to safety. It would be what Sarah would want. Splinter turned and ran up the passage which was already beginning to fill with water.
A/N: Okay so don't totally freak...though, I probably would in her situation. And don't chase the author with giant spiders! EW-I hate those things.