AN: Greetings, folks! This is the sequel to my story Promises Made, and it is heavily suggested that you read that first before starting on this one. The first half of the story tells Don's point of view about what happened in the last story and the second part continues where we left off in Promises Made. Thank you, for those who have been with me since the start of this thing, for your patience and loyalty. I'm am extremely pleased. So, without further ado, enjoy!

Beta'd by Kamerer220.

Prologue – Off I Go

-o-

"A promise made is a debt unpaid"
― Robert W. Service, The Cremation of Sam McGee

-o-

It was going to be a cold winter.

Hamato Donatello had spent so many years studying many topics, including weather and the science behind it, and he could tell by the frigid chill in the air when it was still October that the oncoming winter would be a harsh one probably filled with large quantities of snow and icy roads. They would have to start early in giving the homeless supplies: blankets, portable heaters that Don would make, food, coats, etc. They would have to get the lair ready, too. They would be protected from the snow, sure, but heat rises, which mean it could be even colder underground than it would be on the streets. He knew April would gladly open her home to them for protection. Their family was either all cold-blooded or had very minimal body fat to protect them from the colder elements. It was also going to be a harsh spring, with the excess snow melting and having the possibility of flooding to cause them problems. He'd have to figure out before March how their lair would hold up under these conditions.

Well, his family would have to. The likelihood of him surviving this mission was… not good.

Don tried to ignore the ping in his heart. He didn't have time to dwell on regret and fears. He had a lot of work to get done and so little time to do it. His family would be fine, he was almost positive about that. They had worked very hard these past few months to make their new lair into the condition it was in now. It helped that it was sturdy and reliable to begin with. Leonardo had chosen wisely and picked a primo spot for their new domicile. It was secluded, abandoned a long time ago, and they had been able to get power easily diverted to it with relative ease. It had been easier to protect than their last lair.

Don forced himself to stop thinking about the old lair, because thinking about it caused him to be angry and upset. He didn't need any more distracting emotions. He needed to keep his mind clear on this mission. Even he couldn't stop the thoughts and memories to filter through his mind, however, and that made him both confused and sad.

He thought of why he was doing what he was doing, this stupid plan he had made on a whim. He knew that anger and fear had been the driving force that kept him pushing forward despite the doubts and the insecurities. Anger that Leo was so trusting and seemed so eager to jump in front of a bullet for them instead of just telling them to get down. Fear that Leo was really going to die, that he would allow himself to walk into a trap thinking he was going to protect his family forever by sacrificing himself. That's how it's always been, even as children. They all had their own roles they played: he was the nerd, Michelangelo was the goofball, Raphael was the hot-head, and Leo was their big brother. It really wasn't a surprise that Leo would be the first turtle to sacrifice himself for his family. Leo was the protector of many things: Foot clans, monsters under the bed, bugs (for Raph), and their own failings. Don had taken comfort from his brother's protectiveness. It was something he had relied on heavily in their early years. Don had had a bad time with his own insecurities and limits. He may have excelled greatly in the intellectual department, but when it came to physical endeavors, he knew he was lacking. It caused him to try and over compensate and over extend himself, which caused him to be more accident prone and susceptible to illness because he didn't know how to pace himself.

Don remembered feeling like he needed to contribute more to a family full of skilled ninjas, and that he was a burden to them. He wasn't as gifted as the rest of them were and would only slow them down when it came to battles. He hadn't wanted to be left behind while his brothers went out. He hadn't wanted Splinter to love him any less for not being a great ninja like the rest of his brothers. The other three had been adamant that they didn't think about him that way, and that he was wanted and needed as an important member of their team. When they were young, though, he had gotten teased a lot for his differences, especially from Raph and Mikey. Raph had a mean streak, stemming from his own insecurities, and Mikey had looked up to Raphael over all of them and would join in just to fit in with him. Leonardo, on the other hand, had been his most prominent defender. He would always have his back when Raph (and Mikey) would get on his shell, always listen to his theories even if he didn't understand them, and was the turtle he went to when his nightmares got the best of him. Leo would allow him to crawl into his bed and whisper to him that he wouldn't let anyone take him, that no sewer worker was going to take his genius of a brother and sell him to a lab. He'd tell he'll always look out for him, and he had. Leo had taken up the mantle of leader and big brother, and all the responsibilities that came with it. Don had taken comfort in that, it had allowed the rest of them to concentrate on their own interests: Don and his machines and experiments, Raph with his motor vehicles and his own brand of training, and Mikey with his video games and comic books. It had also allowed them to keep a certain level of their innocence intact until they had to really face battle. Even then, Leo liked to try and take up most of the workload away from them, regardless of if they appreciated it or not.

Leo was just so quick to act and protect them, whether physically or emotionally, and had asked for so little in return. Even though the three of them knew they had Leo's back, sometimes they were unsure if he knew that. The only thing he had ever expected from them was their loyalty to him and that was given to him freely. He had never needed to prove himself over and over again as he had.

Thought it was not the most pleasant memory, and he had grown frustrated with the situation, Don had clearly remembered Leo's part in his recovery from his second mutation. Despite Leatherhead's genius and how quickly the antidote had transformed him back into his regular body, the transition had been rough. For the first few weeks, Don had suffered from fevers, headaches, body chills, nausea, and general aches and pains that would keep him awake when his body was in much need of sleep. There was always the threat of a relapse, not knowing if the Utrom mutagen that had slowed down the one Stockman had created was going to remain stable after the antidote. If he did relapse, would he revert to the monster he had just turned into, back into the turtle he had started off as, or would his body just merely collapse, and he spent the last minutes of his life in agony.

Don barely remembered any of it. If he wasn't having horrific nightmares while he slept, he was incoherent from the pain and/or fever. When he could distinguish between the hallucinations and the darkness, Don would see Leo taking care of him. He knew that his whole family and friends had taken turns to care for him, but it always seemed to be his eldest brother's turn when he came out of the fog.

It was Leo's strong hands that held lukewarm cloths to his forehead and holding the spoon filled with broth so he could feed. It was his brother's gentle voice reading from the plethora of books from Don's own room, talking about historical facts or scientific discoveries of old that he knew would sooth his bright brother's fevered brain.

Throughout it all, Leo would telling him gently, "Don't worry, Donnie. I got you. I'll take care of you."

He had said that many times, over and over again, and Don had been reassured, he had been comforted and lulled into sleep, and eventually, he had gotten better. His family's love and patience had brought him through, and he had never been more grateful to have been mutated into this family in his life.

The experience had humbled Donnie, and made him realized the type sacrifices his family were willing to put up with. Specifically Leo. Especially Leo.

What his brother had planned to do that night proved it. Leo had been so keen on protecting his family, he had lied and snuck around the people he trusted the most just to make sure that his plan for their future would go exactly how he had wanted it.

Too bad Leo had a sneaky younger brother, who liked to make plans of his own. One who was sick of feeling like he should be doing something other than letting Leo take the fall for everything. One who could be just as sneaky and was a better liar than Leo was.

One who felt he had a debt to pay.

Leo had taken care of him his entire life. He had driven back the monsters, both literally and figuratively. He had given him the courage to grow into his own turtle, and not one he felt pressured to be. He had went through hell and back to save his life. Don thought it was about time he took care of Leo for a change.

He looked down into the blade of the katana and stared at his reflection through the smooth and polished steel. The face that stared back at him was the same one he had seen in the mirror for seventeen years, with one exception. A blue mask was now fitting snuggly where his purple one usually resided. Yes, it was time Don took the reins of their family's safety in his own hands.

No matter the cost.

-o-

AN2: Well, I hope it was worth the wait. This was, without a doubt, the shortest chapter in this story. So just to warn you, some of them are super long.

Chapter title comes from the song by Greg Laswell.