The hockey stick flew across the lair and crashed into the television screen.

"What the heck, Jones?" Raph was fuming. He started to rush at Casey, but Mikey quickly went to hold him back.

"Not the TV! It was so young!" Mikey cried, clinging to Raph. "I HATE hockey!"

"Why is this taking so long? You can't bring her back, can you?" Casey Jones was pacing the lair, fighting a temper that was at peak altitude, "Are you even trying?"

I sat on the coach, staring at the floor and gathering all my strength. I wanted to stand up and knock him out.

"Casey, Donatello has been working every minute for the last two months on the portal. He is doing everything he can." Leo interjected, "And one more hockey throw and you'll be getting some common sense thrown your way."

"Exactly, Leo! Two months! How do we know she is even still alive? I should have been there!" Casey was still firing away words, but had taken Leo's warning and ceased with the damage. "Donnie, how much longer?"

I was reaching my limit of patience. "Last time I checked there was no manual for building a controlled dimensional portal, Casey." I said through gritted teeth.

Casey came to stand in front of me, obstructing my view of the floor with his dirty boots. "Well, melon head, I thought you were the smart one! Where is she? If I had been there I would have protected her!"

I had him pinned on the ground before he knew what was happening, "You think I'm not trying? You think you're the only one that lost her?"

"Donatello! He is speaking with the clouded mind of a broken heart. Release him!" Splinter's voice echoed through the lair.

Glaring into Casey's angry eyes, I stood back and let him get up.

"I'll be in the lab." With that, I marched away, not looking at anyone.

A smaller replica of the kraang's portal stood in the center of my lab, along with the biggest power generator I could come up with. This thing took a lot of energy just to power up, and even when I managed to get it on, all it would do is send out a big flash then blow a few circuits, or ten.

I let out an exhausted sigh and sat at my work bench, staring over the schematics. A minute later there was a slight knock at the door and Leo let himself in.

"How's it going, Donnie?" Leo asked, staring at the portal.

I kept my eyes on the desk. "He frustrates me. I'm doing everything I can to bring her home. It terrifies me that it has been two months, three days, Eleven hours…"

Leo's stealth being unmatched, I could feel him next to me before I even noticed he had moved from his pervious spot.

"Donnie, maybe you should rest a little. You have been sleeping only one or two hours a day since it happened. You can't be expected to solve this if you keep punishing yourself." Said Leo.

"Punishing myself?" I turned to look up at him.

"There was no way you could have known she would have done what she did. April made the decision to sacrifice herself, and she knew out of all of us, being part alien, she would have had a chance at surviving." He put a hand on my shoulder.

I stood up and walked towards the portal. I placed my hand on the cold metal that made up the main structure, a ring similar to the kraang portal entrance, and bowed my head. "I know I couldn't have stopped her, but she told me to bring her back. Every second that I haven't got this done is another second that I have failed her. I-I love her, Leo."

I could hear Leo give a great sigh and I looked around at him.

"I know you do," He said, "and I know you will get her back, but…"

"But what?" I asked a little more defensively than I meant to.

He scratched his head and looked at the ground, which changed his appearance from a leader to my brother. "It's just that I know you would be giving this everything either way, but when you get April back, I don't think you should be expecting anything from her."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I now had my fists clenched.

"Nothing! It's just that when she… um… kissed you, she was trying to save you, and, well, when she comes back she'll have spent a long time in a weird and awful place." He finished, trying to gage my reaction.

I was more than a little wounded by his theory. Could the kiss have been a trick to save my life?

I turned away again. "Even if it were like that, Leo, I still love her, and I still need her back, as pathetic as that sounds. Now if you don't mind, I got to get back to work."

"It's not pathetic. Sometimes our greatest strengths are what we believe are our weaknesses. Hang in there, Donnie." I heard him leave and walked back to my desk, pushing bad thoughts from my brain to make way for work.

It was the middle of a long, long night in the lab. My eyes weighed heavy as I lay on my back, staring up into a jungle of wires that made up a main panel to the portal's system. Leo's words kept flying though my head.

I have to keep working, I have to get April home. I told myself. Even my arms felt heavy with every move that I had to make.

"I'm so tired, April. I just want you home." I whispered in the delirium of sleep.

"Donnie?"

I shot up so fast that I hit my head on the panel, but I ignored it and looked around desperately.

"April?"

There she was standing in the lab. She was there, beautiful and exactly as I had last seen her. I scrambled to my feet but froze there. "April? Is that really you?"

She smiled her adorable smile that crinkled her eyes and nose slightly. "I've missed you, Donnie"

"April, how can this be?" I asked slowly.

Her answer was running towards me and wrapping her arms around my neck. I hesitated, then I could smell her sweet scent and could not resist holding her tight.

"I told you we would be together again." She whispered.

My eyes were closed and I soaked in every second she was in my arms. She was home, she was safe!

She finally pulled away but I would not let her leave my grip. I kept my hands on her waist, afraid that she might disappear if I let go. "April, how have you come back? We've- I mean- I've missed you so much."

Again she did not answer me, but she rubbed my forearms lovingly. "Kiss me, Donnie?"

I was a little taken aback. Here she was, as if out of nowhere. I had my April back, wasn't that all that mattered?

I lifted her up to my lips and felt her warm caress. She tasted just like I remembered. I drew in deeper, running my hands up and down her back. She abandoned trying to keep her toes on the ground and wrapped her legs around my waist, and I gladly grabbed her thighs with each hand for support.

When she broke from my kiss, I couldn't stop, I continued down to her neck and kissed her softly there, breathing her in.

"Donnie….Donnie…" Her voice pushed me on. "Donnie…"

I woke up with a jolt, slamming my head into the panel I had been dreaming under.

"Of course." I groaned in frustration, rubbing the sore part of my forehead.

"Donnie?"

I shot up, I looked around the lab.

"Donnie!"

I turned to the portal, a small orb of white light floated in the center of the metal ring, and April's voice had been saying his name from it, like she was down a long metal hall.

I ran towards it, "April?"

There was silence. I watched the little orb of light intently.

"Donnie!" came April's voice as the orb's glow became almost blinding, then disappeared in an instant.

My heart sank, and my stomach lurched, it was like watching her vanish all over again. "NOOO!"

"So let me get this straight." Mikey asked from his manual generator. "April was almost here, but in like Christmas light fashion, and to get her back we need to run like hamsters on a wheel."

"Pretty accurate, Mikey. A power surge occurred last night, causing my portal to momentarily connect with the kraang dimension. If we create enough power by having you guys contribute extra energy by running, to recreate the event, we can possibly get her back." I told Mikey, still making last minute adjustments.

"And if it doesn't work?" Raph asked, boarding his manual generator.

"It overpowers and blows up." I responded while checking another circuit.

"Well, glad to see this was all thought through." Casey chimed in.

"Relax, I know this will work." I stepped back and looked over my job as a whole. Then went to main control panel. "Everybody ready?"

"Ready to die, captain!" Mikey saluted.

"Okay, go!" I pulled the lever, and my three brothers and Casey began to run, causing energy to be routed to the machine.

A few minutes passed by when the small white light appeared again in the center of the metal ring. "Guys, it's working! Go faster!"

"Why do you sound surprised that it's working?" Casey yelled at him from his running position.

The light grew, not only brighter, but bigger, until it filled the confines of the metal ring. It looked like a small round door. I ran up to it. "April!"

I tried to listen for her voice again over the sound of the machines.

"April!" I shouted again into the light, but saw nothing but white. A few more minutes passed. Suddenly, a spark came flying out of the control panel.

"Donnie! We're pushing it too hard, we need to shut it down!" Leo hollered at me.

I knew he was right, but still I responded, "Just a little while longer!"

Then, as fate hates my guts, another three sparks flew from other parts of the machine.

"Now, Donnie!" Leo commanded.

Again, I was so close and defeat was closing in, disappointment and fear seized my entire body.

"Fine." I went to turn away from the light when I felt it, a hand grasped mine. I spun back and saw a small delicate hand gripping onto me. "April!"

I pulled, and could feel her trying to pull herself out as well but it was like the light was sucking her back in.

"Leo! Help!" I yelled in desperation to my brother.

Leo leapt from his generator and grabbed hold of my torso, helping me anchor April closer. A second later I saw her head and torso emerge, as if from dense water.

"Donnie! They are not letting go, pull harder please!" she pleaded with desperation in her eyes.

"I'm on it!" Casey left his running to grab her other arm and lend his strength, but I saw it a second later…

"The portal! We don't have enough power! IT'S CLOSING!" I gave it all I had as I saw the light shrink back down in size with April only half way through.

"Pull!" Leo screamed.

Raph and Mikey abandoned their positions as well to come help, with one quick yank together, April was released and they all fell back onto the ground. April did not hesitate, she stood up and shouted, "Shut it down, shut it completely down, before I'm followed!"

Mikey, being the quickest, did what any sane turtle does when given an urgent task and smashed on the control panel with his nun chuck until the portal closed and the machine was silent and smoking.

So there we were, with our lost comrade, April. The girl I loved now stood over me, head to toe in some type of tight, metal armor after over two months on an alien planet.

Then she smiled, "I have a lot to tell you guys…"