Family's Worth

Rated: T -some violence, sexual relations hinted or talked about but that is all.

Summary: A family, dealing with their own traumas, are being hunted and it is up to the turtle family to free them totally from their past, even though it means endangering their own family to do so.

Chapter One - Chance meeting.

She knew she had to get to safety, the hunter who had stalked them for the last week or so was closing in fast, her hand gripped her son's hand keeping him at a run that was almost too fast and too much for the seven year old to keep up with.

Her mate managed to open a portal, "Rhanna go!" He ordered briskly and turned to face their pursuer.

Rhanna slowed a little glancing back over her shoulder, not wishing to leave her mate behind but she knew she had to keep their son safe she whimpered low in her throat before diving through the portal and paused in shock, her eyes growing wide at the sight of where they were.

In other worlds they had run to, in their desperate attempt to break free they had not yet stumbled upon any large cities, but she had never seen a city of this size before, it seemed to stretch forever, and though they stood on the roof of one building taller buildings reached up around them, lights in windows shining like small beacons.

Rhanna, had no fear of heights, but she was afraid that they were trapped here on the roof easy prey for the one who was after them. "Cadak, help me find a way down. There has to be a way down." she said, releasing her hold on the boy's arm. "Hurry, Arak, where are you," she moaned as she also began to search for a way to get off the roof top.

Arak came through the portal just as it was starting to close, he saw his mate and smiled but quickly inquired, "Where's the boy?"

"Here," peeped a small quiet voice off in the shadows, " See stairs down." he said, pointing over the edge of the building while warily watching Arak and Rhanna.

"Good boy Cadak," Rhanna praised him with a smile. "Arak let us get down and find a safe place to rest, even for just a little bit. We also need some food," she said they hadn't eaten in over a day and she wanted to get something at least for Cadak, for she and her mate could manage a little longer without food. "Then maybe we can use the portal to get somewhere safer."

Arak shook his head and sighed, " The one who hunts us destroyed the portal device I had, we are stuck here now Rhanna, we will have to find a place somewhere here. You go down first Rhanna we will keep Cadak between us," he ordered.

Rhanna winced slightly, without that device they would have less places to run too, and as their pursuer had found them on other worlds he was bound to find them here too, eventually. About the only thing they could do was put distance between them and the one who hunted them.

Cadak silently obeyed, when it was his turn to go down, he asked no questions, voiced no complaint and made no protest of any kind, though he was tired and hungry he was quick to heed any order, or instruction given to him.

Once all of them were safely on the ground Arak glanced around at the litter strewn alley. He wrinkled his nose at the smell. " I don't know where there is any place we can rest, and since we have no idea where we are or what kind of beings might be here. It may be best for us to stick close to the shadows, at least until we are a little more sure of things."

He smiled at his mate, which turned to a slight scowl as he looked at Cadak. " Stay close to us, and don't wander. If you get separated we may not have time to look for you," he remarked in an abrupt manner.

Cadak merely nodded and said "yes, sir."

Arak seemed satisfied with his response slowly turned and moved off doing his best to stay close to shadows, away from busy streets with heavy traffic. He kept his body tense, knowing that the hunter might find them again and that this was only a reprieve for him and his family.

XXX

The four turtles leapt from rooftop to rooftop high over the city streets, unseen by the people who bustled and hustled through and around the streets below. Mike put on a burst of speed, leapt and flipped with ease then using as much stealth as possible, neared his brother, he reached out with one hand to pull on the red bandanna tails.

Raph, who had many years of dealing with his good natured brother's shenanigans, turned his head to the side, away from Mike, while raising his hand to slap Mike's away, he did this without even breaking stride.

Mike laughed, dodging the strike with ease. Leo smiled, well aware of the antics that were going on between the two, night patrols just weren't for keeping the city safe, it was a way to hone their skills and release pent up energy from being cooped in the lair.

Leo didn't mind the games, he knew how necessary they were, and he was also fully aware that Raph and Mike usually had a lot more energy to burn then he or Don had. All Leo really expected, was that when it was time to get serious, that his brothers - his team- were quick to heed his words.

Even though they were well above street level where most trouble happened, he and his brothers had such keen senses they were able to hear, see or smell, anything that felt off. Not to mention, that they were very aware of the city rhythms, anything that felt off most likely needed to be looked into.

While racing across one roof top Don suddenly paused in his stride, the purple masked ninja scowled and cocked his head. Keeping his voice low he called out to Leo, "Wait! Hold up, I think I heard something."

Leo aborted a jump he'd been about to make, nodding his head in acknowledgement he turned back towards where Don was. He kept his own senses alert trying to see if he could detect anything to support or deny Don's claim.

Mike and Raph quickly stopped their game of push- shove and other antics, they had also heard Don's call and knew it was time to get serious, settle down and get ready to take care of business.

The four brothers made their way to the edge of the building, and looked down into the alley below.

Though it was an alley with little lighting it was easy to make out five silhouetted shapes below, four were larger and bigger, ringing the fifth being who looked quite small - probably no more then a child.

"Grab hold of em now" they heard one gruff voice waft up from below.

Don shook his head sympathetically, even as he and his brothers descended quickly, each of them picking just one of the bullies as a target to strike. Don wondered if the child was a run away, or just a kid who had snuck out for some fun and now was about to pay for it, 'or the kid might, if we weren't here.'

Don focused on his target, and through body motions and where he was moving the others knew exactly who Don had picked for his strike. The brother's strike was simultaneously.

It took a short time before the thugs had all been knocked unconscious and sprawled about the ground, but the child had scrambled towards a dumpster and was now heading around it.

Don who was closest went to grab the child as he ducked around the dumpster he noted something odd, not quite human - perhaps, but the boy's sharp heavy breathing and a soft whimper as he was pulled away from the dumpster.

"Hold on kid, it's ok we won't hurt you. Just stay all right?" Don turned the child to get a better look, at the child who he figured to be around six maybe.

The child stopped struggling standing still, his mouth was open slightly allowing more air to enter. Don gasped the child, wasn't human. In fact the boy who stood there was the farthest thing from human.

It's head and face was similar to their own, but the boy did have a longer nose and mouth, more lizard like really. He had dark green scales, and about a two foot and a half long tail that flickered a little behind him. The child was dressed in a pair of dirty thin pants that seemed to be more holes then pants, and his forked tongue kept flickering out of his mouth much like a snakes.

"You're a lizard," Don stated, noting bruises, and other injuries both old and new on the child's body.

"Kaa'shan," the boy replied.

Don had no idea if Kaa'shan was the boys name or if it was something else he was trying to get across.

Mike grinned, "Aw he's a cute kid!"

"Yeah, and look at those marks on him." Leo scowled darkly, he and his brothers had seen many crimes of all kinds when patrolling the street and the ones that seemed the worse to them was, any crime that hurt a child, for they were true innocents.

"Who ever hurt him needs a good lesson." Raph snarled, his eyes narrowed and his hands balled into fists, he was all for taking the child back to the lair with them.

"Let my son GO!"

Raph whirled to see a female lizard on a ladder over head she scrambled down fast, the female was around five seven in height, she wore a dark blue dress that once might have been elegant but was now torn, and stained. She had a four foot long tail and her colouring was a medium grass green.

She lashed her tail out at Raphael who was the closest to her. Raph curled his lip and moved fast, catching hold of her tail in one swift move and refused to let go of the weapon she was trying to use. "Look lady, we haven't hurt your son. Which is more then what I can say for you."

The boy looked at the female, "Sorry, sorry. I did as you say." He trembled slightly and his eyes went wide with fright.

Leo and Mike sensed the boy's sudden fear, and his actions spoke louder then words. The boy was obviously expecting some form of repercussion. Mike's body tensed and his eyes narrowed, their father Splinter, had always taught them to treat females with respect and dignity. There were times when some exceptions had to be made, and Mike felt that this was one of those times.

Leo reached out and touched Mike's arm, not willing to let Mike jump in and do something that he might regret later. He heard, nor sensed any deceit in the female lizard's next words.

"I have never hurt Cadak!" she insisted firmly. Her tone was clearly offended at the very allegation that she would harm her child, in any way.

Don still wasn't sure and kept a comforting hold on the boy,he whispered in the child's ear " It's all right no one will hurt you, I promise you."

Leo looked around the alley, knowing it wasn't safe to stay in the alley for much longer spoke up " It's not safe here, I feel we are being watched. Let's go up where we can talk more freely." He didn't add that he also wanted to be higher up, where it might be easier to see any danger coming their way.

"My mate Arak is watching," the female replied.

Don raised an eye ridge at the female's words how could her mate, let her come down instead of him. What kind of guy, would do that? 'Maybe, it is Cadak's father who is the problem' Don mused to himself.

"Then let us go up and say hello to Arak," Leo declared.

The female lizard sighed and relented, slowly the four turtles and the two lizards climbed up the fire escape ladder to the rooftops.

A large almost seven foot tall lizard, his dark green forest colouration of scales was marked by red lines here or there, his tail was a little over four foot in length. He snapped his tail like a whip and his eyes narrowed, frills along side his neck rose and one frill that ran along the back of his head also rose in display looking like a strange Mohawk. He was dressed in a tattered soiled vest, and grubby pants.

"Rhanna, you should not have gone down there and risked all of us getting captured."

The female, hissed and curled her lip at the male, " I could not leave our son there."

Arak huffed, crossing his arms over his chest "He's not our son Rhanna."

Leo scowled realizing there was much going on here that they didn't know or could even begin to understand. "Perhaps we can discuss that later," he hinted kindly, " for now let us introduce ourselves, I'm Leonardo called Leo by my brothers, and my brothers are Donatello known as Don, Michelangelo who we call Mike and Raphael or Raph."

" I am Arak, my kindred mate is Rhanna, and Cadak."

Rhanna snapped our tail, "Our son, we adopted him recently, he had no other family."

Arak did not dispute Rhanna's interruption "We came here and we are stuck here. We are a species known as Kaa'shans and we have no way to get back to our home world. We need safety, a place to rest and food."

Leo nodded at Arak's words " Look, this world is not safe for the like of those who are different from most the population of our world. Even I and my brothers, must be extremely careful around the people of this world. For the most part we stay hidden."

He paused and looked at the three lizard humanoids, " It will be daylight soon and it isn't wise to be here during the day, at night we have more freedom. For your safety for now I suggest you come back to our home, there you can rest and eat and we can figure out where to go from there."

This was not an offer Leo, was in the habit of making. People they helped if injured were dropped off at the hospitals, crooks were often left where the police were sure to find them. But it was clear these Kaa'shans would be too noticeable up above, nor could they be left alone if any authority found them, they may look further and find other things that should not be in the city. While Leo found what he heard suspicious, and he did not know how well this family could be trusted, he knew that he could not just leave them alone either. Besides it would be easier to learn what was truly going on if they were close by.

Arak's words of being captured made Leo think that they might belong to a lab or something similar and the fact Cadak had been adopted also might play into that, they could have taken the boy from such a place. It was at least a possibility.

Arak glanced at Rhanna, wondering what his mate would want. They had been running for so long and if this world was so dangerous then, perhaps it might be wiser to trust these four turtles. Yet, they had been through so much recently, Arak felt very strongly that it could be a trap. Everything seemed to be a trap.

Rhanna nodded, "We need it. Cadak needs it. Besides, they gave us a choice Arak."

Arak glanced at Cadak who was still staying close to the turtles, he gave a faint smile at the boy. "Very well. For now we will go with you."

TBC