Splinter makes his way around as the boys rough house, pushing toys and refuse out of the way. Though they live in a sewer, he feels the need to at least try to keep their sleeping area clean.

"Can we havva story?" Mikey asks hopefully, as though it isn't way past their bedtime.

"I don't think so, Michelangelo," Splinter answers gently. "It is already far past your bedtime. You should all be sleeping."

"But we ain't tired," Raph tells him.

"Yeah we are," Don disagrees, yawning animatedly. He snaps his mouth shut and begins rooting around in the pile of blankets to get comfortable.

"No we ain't," Raph insists, nudging him roughly.

Splinter sighs. While it provides warmth and comfort, all four of them sleeping together just isn't as practical as it had been when they were smaller. Unfortunately, they have to make due with what they have.

"Shh!" Mikey exclaims, holding a thick finger against his beak. "You're wastin' story ti-em!"

"You shh!" Raph counters, shoving at Mikey with his foot, which causes Leo to topple out of the nest and onto his shell.

"You guys, cut it out!" he cries, arms grabbing at air but getting nowhere.

Helping Leo back into the group, Splinter says sternly, "no story tonight, boys. Perhaps tomorrow evening."

"Aww!" they all chorus (Mikey the loudest.)

Splinter motions for them to settle. He stays, as he always does, until the last set of eyes shut.

…

Thump. Thump.

Raphael opens his eyes and frowns. He is not where he should be. He looks around, curiosity taking hold of him. There are no rust-stained cement walls here; the spaces are wide, open, and inviting. And warm. He realizes he's standing on the sidewalk, somewhere, with the sun beating down on his shell. He wonders why his bare feet don't burn, but then realizes he's wearing shoes. He's never owned a pair of shoes in his life.

He hears Mikey laughing in the distance. It's a hard laugh to mistake. His eyes shoot up, searching everywhere. He finds his brothers several feet away, drawing with colorful sticks of chalk. The sky is big and blue and goes on forever.

'Raph!' Leo calls to him, waving. 'Hey, Raph!'

He lifts his foot and pauses, watching in disbelief as the gravel begins to split and crack. Grass begins growing rapidly between them, flowers shooting up into the sky. He laughs and begins running. Leo calls out to him again.

'Raph!'

He trips and falls, still laughing, into a puddle. In the puddle's reflection, he can see Leo, standing somewhere above him, holding his hand out.

'Raph!'

…

"Raph!" Leo cries out, kneeling clumsily against the jagged cement. Gravel cuts into his knees as he leans into the murky water, but he can't be concerned with that now. "Raph, grab on!"

But Raphael isn't responding.

…

The ground begins to fade away, and Raphael finds himself hanging in mid air. Below him is a gigantic, dark pit, but he doesn't appear to be falling.

He hears Leo calling to him again, and frantically searches for his brother. Just then, a roaring, freezing river falls from the sky, dragging him down, down…

…

He bobs along the surface of the water, dipping under, tossed around like an empty milk jug. Donnie and Mikey race ahead, kneeling and reaching into the water with outstretched fingers.

"Raph!" they all yell.

…

Wide eyes snap open, searching for the intense cold encircling his body. Raphael screams, only to have his mouth fill with water, rushing down his throat and into his lungs. Where was he? The last thing he remembers is Mikey's foot in his ribs. He tries to see through the darkness, but it was no use. He coughs and sputters, waving his arms and calling out for someone, anyone, to save him.

He swallows down more disgusting water, felt it filling his entire body. The world starts to fade…

...

"Nnn," Raphael sighs, tossing and turning. He rolls over onto his arm, frowning in his sleep.

Splinter sighs in relief, watching him squirm.

"Raphael?"

"Hnn?" he makes a soft sound in the back of his throat, eyes fluttering open. He blinks several times and twists around, clearly confused. "Where-"

"You are safe now, Raphael," Splinter assures him, gently placing a hand on his arm. Raphael looks back at him with a furrowed brow, mouth cocked open slightly. "You have been sleeping for several hours. I was very worried, but it seems that you are all right…" he frowns softly, the confusion on Raphael's face evident. "Do you not remember, my son?"

"'Member what?" he asks, Mikey flinging himself across the room and embracing him seconds later.

"Raph, you're okay!" he squeaks.

Raph looks on at Leo and Don as Mikey squeezes the life out of him. He shoves the younger boy off of him, realizing for the first time how very cold he is. At the first sign of chattering teeth, Splinter piles another blanket across his shoulders.

"'Course I'm okay. What's gotten into you guys?"

"You were sleepwalkin'," Donnie blurts out excitedly, balking and looking down when Leo shoots him a nasty look.

All of the sudden, he's aware of a bad taste in his mouth, a particular smell in the back of his throat.

"What?" he says in disbelief, looking from brother to brother. He scowls, tears starting to sting his eyes. "No I wasn't."

"You could've died," Leo says coldly, fixating him with an uneasy glare. "You left the lair."

Raphael argues. "No I didn't!"

"Yes, you did, and you very well could have been gravely injured." Splinter kneels slowly, steadying him with a firm hand. "You didn't mean for this to happen, did you, Raphael?"

"N-no, Master," he insists, shaking his head. He feels himself shaking, but he won't cry, not in front of them. "I don't remember any of that, h-honest."

"I believe you, my son," Splinter says quietly, staring into his eyes. He sighs and sweeps his hand across the bedding. "This has been a very trying evening. We must rest now."

This time, the boys pile onto the blankets timidly, as though afraid Raphael might break. When they are all settled in again, Splinter joins them to assure that Raphael will not stray a second time.