A/N: Alright! More Hamato family fun! This is Number 2 of Volume 2! For character references check my profile. This one is going to be a little bumpy, but fun! So, hold on tight! Here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters of tmnt, only the other oc character within this series.


Prologue

"Thanks for letting me tag along, guys." Shinta slid into the large booth across from Yoshi and Star.

The older turtle chuckled, hidden behind his holo-image. "Hey, this might be our only chance to get you out without Uncle Leo breathin' down your neck."

Shinta frowned, causing his human holo to do the same. "I don't know that he'd notice right now anyway. He's been so focused on Uncle Mikey lately."

Star reached across the table to squeeze the young turtle's hand. "He's just worried about him. They all are."

Shinta gave a slow nod, returning the warm gesture. "Yeah, I know. That's why they decided to go on this trip."

It was Yoshi's turn to frown as he looked down at his bride of just under a year. "It's gotta be hard losin' someone you been with for that long. I couldn't image it and we haven't been together a year yet."

Star released Shinta's hand to take her husband's. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm not going anywhere any time soon, big guy." He smirked as she leaned up to kiss him softly.

"There you are!"

The couple and Shinta turned to see Star's friend approach the table. "Amber!" Star jumped up to hug her. "It's so good to see you!"

The younger girl giggled and hugged her back tightly. "You too!"

Star turned to gesture to her companions. "This is my husband, Yoshi. And this is his cousin, Shinta. Guys, this is Amber Fisk. We went to high school together."

Amber grinned. "Yep, I was the only freshman with a best friend that was a senior."

"Does that mean you're still in school?" Shinta asked as the girl slid into the booth beside him.

Amber let out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, yes. I still have a year to go." She eyed him. "Do you go to school around here? I've never seen you before."

Shinta blushed. "Well, uh, I was homeschooled."

She raised a brow. "Really, how do you like it?"

"Oh, it's great. My aunt was a great teacher. My father too."

"Your aunt and dad taught you?"

Shinta took a sip of his soda. "Yeah."

Amber glanced from Shinta to Yoshi and then at Star questioningly. Star gave a small nervous chuckle. "Their family is very tight-knit."

"Our family." Yoshi corrected, placing a hand on top of hers, causing Star to smile up at him.

Amber smiled as well. It made her happy to know her friend had finally found something she'd lacked her entire life. The four chatted for a while as they ate lunch together. As they were leaving, Amber stopped and handed Shinta a slip of paper.

He looked at her blankly. "What's this?"

She raised a brow. "My number." Shinta blinked and she chuckled. "Don't tell me a handsome guy like you has never had a girl give him her number before?"

He cleared his throat and stood a little straighter. "Uh, well…actually…"

Amber laughed. "Just give me a call sometime. We could hang out." She winked at him and hurried on ahead to where Star and Yoshi waited near the door.

It took Shinta a moment to realize he'd just been asked out. He felt himself blush again. Thank goodness for the holo-projector! He caught up with the others as they left the café. Star and Amber shared another hug before saying goodbye. Once she was gone, Yoshi glanced at his cousin. "What's with the dopey grin?"

"She gave me her number and said she wants to hang out." Shinta had to admit Amber was rather cute.

Star frowned. "Um, I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

It was Shinta's turn to frown. "Why not?"

"Well, Amber was a good friend to me, but she wasn't very good to any of the guys she dated. I mean we were only at the same school a year, and she had a new boyfriend every few weeks."

"But you trust her, right?" Shinta pointed out.

"Yeah, but-"

"That was almost two years ago, she may have changed since then."

Star sighed. "Maybe. Look, all I'm saying is be careful."

Yoshi slung an arm around Shinta's shoulders. "Yeah, like you told me. You need to find out if she interested in you or that holo image, before you tell her anything."

Shinta smiled. "I will. And guys could we maybe keep this between us. You know how Dad is."

Yoshi smiled as well, squeezing his shoulder. "Alright, we'll keep it between us for now."


Chapter 1 - Comfort

Mikey frowned as Raph helped him on with his pack. "Why are we doing this?"

"Aren't you always the one sayin' we don't do stuff together anymore?" Raph grumbled from behind him.

Leo shot him an annoyed look, before turning a more tolerant gaze on his youngest brother. "And you were right. It's high time we did something on our own. And a hike will do us all some good."

Mikey's frown only deepened. He knew what they were doing. They were trying to cheer him up and get him out of his room. But the reality was, he didn't really want to be out here in the fresh air with the sun shining. He'd rather be back home with Kaz, Ona, and Kara.

"You haven't been sleeping well, Mikey. Some physical exercise and fresh air will be good for you." Donnie avoided the reason why his brother wasn't sleeping, but they all knew the cause. Kala's death had been hard on him. But unlike Leo, who'd pushed them away and isolated himself, Mikey still allowed them in. It was his nature to be social and with his new granddaughter, it was hard to hide away in his room all the time.

Mikey pinned his genius brother with an incredulous look. "You're one to talk. How are you going to sleep without Sarah nearby? Won't you get sick?"

Don's smile was patient as he helped Raph on with his pack. "No, it's only for three days. We'll be fine. It's not like we're going to another dimension. We'll just be a few miles away." The truth was, he wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep. But he could handle a little insomnia for a few days, if it meant helping his brother feel better.

"It was pretty lucky that the government bought up all that property behind April's and turned it into a wildlife reserve." Leo picked up Don's bag and assisted him with it. Then shifted the pack on his own shoulders. "Everyone have a holo?" His brothers rolled their eyes and pointed to their belts where the boxes were hooked. "Good, we may need them if we run into any humans."

"They only turned the property into a reserve a few months ago. I highly doubt there's been many hikers yet." Don explained as the four headed off down one of the paths behind the old farmhouse.

Inside the house, Cat frowned out the window. "Why can't we go?"

April glanced over her shoulder at her from one of the large arm chairs. "They need some guy time. You know, for Mikey."

Cat continued to pout. "I still don't see why we couldn't go too."

"I don't know why you want to go so bad considering what happened the last time you all went camping together." April reminded her.

Cat turned towards them, a scowl in place. "And that's exactly why we should be going with them!"

Sarah snorted from the couch, where she was currently sprawled out. "You're just mad because you like camping and hiking and stuff."

"You do too!" Cat protested. "And why aren't you more upset about being left behind? I figured you'd be climbing the walls already with Donnie gone."

Sarah didn't bother to open her eyes. "Are you kidding? I get three whole days where I'm not cleaning, cooking, teaching, or babysitting. This is like a vacation to me. Yeah, it'd be better if Donnie was here. But he won't be far away. And Mikey needs him right now." She finally opened an eye to look at her sister-in-law. "Mikey needs Raph right now too. It's been a long time since they spent some time together just the four of them."

Cat released a guilty sigh, before sauntering over to sit at the foot of Sarah's couch. "Yeah, I know."

"So, what do we do now?" Jamie sat in the other large armchair, her feet curled up under her.

Sarah closed her eyes again, folding her arms under her head. "You guys would be lost without me, you know…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" April asked.

"Just check those boxes I set beside the TV."

The three other women exchanged a look and Jamie got up to see what Sarah was talking about. The first box she opened was full of DVDs, the second was filed with all sorts of snacks, and the third had a bunch of games. Jamie chuckled, holding up one of the board games. "Seriously, Clue?"

Sarah just smirked, eyes still shut. "Well, I would have brought Chess, but I didn't figure any of you would play me."

Cat folded her arms. "Uh, no way. I'd last all of thirty seconds."

April smiled. "I heard Shinta has been giving you a run for your money lately though."

Sarah smiled, finally sitting up. "He's getting pretty good. A little more practice and he'll be able to take Leo."

Jamie stood and glanced out the front window, a distant look in her eye. "I wonder how they're doing back home."


Kara giggled as Kaz picked her up from the living room floor and bopped his beak affectionately against hers. "What are you up to, angel?"

Ona appeared from the kitchen. "Oh, just pulling out all Sarah's recipe books. I have no idea if I put them back the way she likes them."

Kaz couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, you've got to expend that energy somehow. Don't you?" He tickled his daughter's chin and she giggled some more.

Mira and K-three had heard their conversation as they'd entered from the dojo. Mira chuckled. "Oh, that's nothing. Wait until she starts walking."

K-three smirked. "Yeah, anything at eye level will be fair game." Katsu, who'd been sitting on the couch, turned to look at his parents with interest.

Kaz chuckled again. "Yeah, I remember when Katsu got into Uncle Leo's paint set. What a mess!"

Mira giggled. "I remember that! We took pictures of him covered in it!"

Footsteps came from the stairwell a moment before Yoshi, Star, and Shinta appeared. The three headed for the door, but K-three cleared his throat and they stopped. "And where are you three off to?"

"Just to a movie. What's it to ya?" Yoshi snipped in annoyance.

"You know Leo left me in charge. So, I need to know if you take off. Do you have your holos?"

Yoshi rolled his eyes. "Of course we do."

K-three nodded. "Have fun then." Star opened the front door as Shinta and Yoshi turned on their holos. "And check in every few hours."

"Yeah, yeah." Yoshi ushered Shinta out the door and closed it quickly behind them.

Shinta pulled the collar of his light jacket up as a brisk wind swept up the quiet city street. He strolled silently behind Yoshi and Star as they made their way up the sidewalk. After a bit of discussion, they'd decided to make Shinta's date with Amber a double date. The younger turtle wasn't keen on the idea. He was nearly an adult after all. He didn't need a chaperone. But Yoshi had been rather insistent. He sighed. No matter how old he was, his family continued to treat him like a child that needed babysitting.

Shinta didn't see what the big deal was. Amber was a good friend of Star's. And it wasn't like he was going to tell this girl all their secrets on the first date or something. Maybe if tonight goes well, I can meet up with her later on my own.

Amber was waiting for them outside the theater. She smiled at Shinta as they approached. "Hey, guys!" Shinta was glad he'd thought to wear clothes, when she suddenly slipped her arm through his. "The movie's about to start." She lowered her voice a bit. "It might be hard to find four seats together."

Shinta smirked. "Yeah, it might be. It could be crowded in there."

Yoshi paid for their tickets and they headed inside. Amber pointed at the concession stand. "Let's grab some snacks first."

"Sure." Shinta smiled as they stepped in line, the young brunette still clinging to his arm. Once again Yoshi paid and the four started for the theater.

Just outside the door, Yoshi caught Shinta's arm allowing a bit of space between them and the girls. "Take it easy, runt. Remember you're a turtle underneath that human hologram."

Shinta glared. "Gee, thanks for the reminder. That's why I have a hundred pound shell on my back." Yoshi scowled as Shinta walked off in a huff.

As luck would have it, the theater was rather crowded and finding four seats together was impossible. Star pointed to a pair of seats about midway down. "We'll sit back here. You guys can take those down there." She indicated another pair almost directly in front of theirs but two rows down.

"Sounds good to me." Shinta said as he joined them. He allowed Amber to slip into the row first, then he followed.

Star looked up as Yoshi stopped beside her. "What's wrong?"

Yoshi snorted. "The kid's just bein' a smart aleck."

She grinned. "And you're just being overprotective." Her smile faded as he frowned down at her. Sighing, she patted his cheek. "Don't worry so much. We'll be sitting right behind them." He sighed as well as she moved to one of the seats and he sat beside her. "Let's try to enjoy the movie, okay?"

Yoshi relaxed his shoulders, slipping an arm around her and drawing her closer. "Yeah, alright."

Two rows down, Shinta folded his hands in his lap consciously keeping them out of his companion's reach. "So, uh, what's this movie supposed to be about?"

Amber raised a brow at his rather stiff body language. "Oh, it's one of those alien movies."

It was his turn to raise an eye ridge. If she liked alien movies, maybe she'd like mutant turtles too. He smiled. "Cool! You like alien movies?"

She giggled. "Well, yeah. That's why I picked it." She glanced over her shoulder at Yoshi and Star. "Your cousin is kinda…"

"Overprotective." Shinta provided.

She nodded. "Yeah, what's up with that? You're old enough to be out on a date alone." She paused. "Aren't you?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Of course! I'm eighteen." He sighed. "Yoshi and I grew up like brothers. He's always been that way with me. I guess because I'm the youngest."

Amber seemed to think this over for a moment. "That's actually kind of sweet. But he doesn't need to protect you from me." She winked and he chuckled. The lights dimmed as the movie started and the two grew quiet for a while. Then they began a whispered conversation about how utterly stupid the movie was. Both were making fun of the main character by the end.

Yoshi frowned at his cousin, who was leaning very close to the girl beside him. They began to snicker and someone nearby shushed them. He didn't see what was so funny. This was supposed to be the serious part of the movie, not that he'd been paying it much attention. It had been excruciatingly boring. There hadn't been any shooting or explosions or nothing. You'd expect something like that from an alien movie, right? Nope, it had droned on now for an hour and a half. Who picked this stupid movie anyway?

Below them, Amber suddenly got up and walked out. At first, neither he nor Star thought anything of it. That is until Shinta vanished from his seat as well. How had the kid slipped out on him? Yoshi turned in his seat trying to see the exit, which was nearly impossible from his position.

Star squeezed his hand, bringing his attention back to her. "What is it?" She whispered. He pointed at the two empty seats. She frowned. "Maybe they went to the bathroom or to get more snacks."

He didn't think so. Something told him, he'd just been ditched. "Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the lobby. They were nowhere in sight. "I'll check the men's." Star nodded and rushed into the women's restroom. A moment later they both emerged empty handed.

Star shrugged. "Where'd they go?"

Yoshi hurried over to the concession stand that was near the door. "Hey, did you guys see our friends come out?"

One of the attendants spoke up. "Oh, yeah, the teenagers. They left a few minutes ago."

The couple exchanged a shocked look and hustled out of the theater, scanning the empty street. Yoshi grumbled several choice words under his breath before looking down at his spouse. "I'm gonna kill 'im!"


A/N: LOL! Shinta gave them the slip! But I think he might have bitten off more than he can chew, sorta speak. I guess we'll just have to see! XD