I had fallen back asleep at around 2:32am, and I woke up at around 7:00am. When I awoke the rain was still pounding against every window of the farmhouse. I groaned when I awoke, memories of the day before flooding into my mind.

Was there any hope my sister was even still alive? I didn't think so. What if she hated me now? I failed to save her. That was evident. I stood from my bed, and stripped from the clothes I wore yesterday. I put on some clothes that I had here already from when my sister and I come up here. I offered April some of my mother's clothing and she gladly accepted.

When clothed, I stepped into the hallway and walked down the hallway and down the stairs. There on the couch was Donnie and Mikey passed out, cuddling next to each other. I couldn't suppress the smile that plastered my face. I took out a blanket from the closet and threw it gently over the two. I laughed gently when Mikey snuggled under it.

The kid was a child at heart. I never did understand how someone good be at the age of fifteen and still be as pure as a toddler. I admired Mikey for it. I'd love to be as innocent as he is. But the kid's seen some tough stuff. His own father being flushed down a sewer drain, never to be seen again. Or maybe we'd find him again? I don't know, ok! Right now I could barely deal with the pressure of my baby sister being taken from me. How was I supposed to deal with that? The baby sister that I had vowed to protect with my life. Gone.

I clenched my teeth together and my eyes. Tears slowly made their way down my face. Funny how a traumatic event can make you see parts of yourself that you never even knew you had.

I sobbed gently, not loud enough to wake the others. Suddenly I darted out of the house, back into the freezing cold rain. I ran back into the woods and fell to my knees near the pond. How much more of this was I supposed to be able to take? How much longer until I turned insane?

I sobbed gently, my shoulders wracking with each shaky breath. The rain only seemed to emphasize how sorrowful I really was at that moment. I wanted to scream and cry in agony, but I didn't dare in case anyone was nearby. I had four brothers back in that house who couldn't be seen by any humans unless they wanted to be taken away for experiments in government labs.

I heard the noise of crunching leaves behind me, and I whipped my tear stained face back around to see the person who had followed me out. I cursed under my breath. Of course it had to be him.

The one who thinks I hate him.

"What're you doing out here?" He asked me.

I sniffed and wiped my nose against my sleeve, my brown eyes giving off a more hopeless look than what I would have approved with. "None of your business, Donatello."

He did a double take at my expression. It was so very rare to catch me crying. "Casey? What's wrong?"

"None of your business!" I snapped at him as I wiped my eyes dry, only for them to be drenched in tears once more.

He was obviously taken aback due to my behavior. Sure, on a regular basis I do act like a jerk. Yeah, underline the word act. "Casey, why are you crying?"

I growled. "Why do you care?"

I never got defensive like that though. It was odd. Crying and a defensive side that almost never comes out. Those were big red flags, saying that I was upset.

"Casey, of course I care if you're upset. I mean, sure, you're a pain, but I don't want to see you upset." Yeah, that's how brothers act, or just siblings in plain general. Though Dani and I never really had the time to get ticked off at each other. And I'm afraid to say that I feel like I've become more of her parent than her brother. I'd rather be her brother.

"Just leave me alone, bro." The nickname flew past my lips. I bit my lip hard, drawing a bit of blood. The metallic taste filled my mouth as Donatello processed what I had said.

"Did you just call me 'bro'?"

"So what if I did?!"

Donnie sat on a log next to me, where I sat on the ground on my knees. "Is that what you think of my brothers and me? Do you think of us as brothers?"

"Aw, man, so what if I do? You gonna hate me even more for it?"

"What? I don't hate you."

"Well, you sure don't like me!"

Donnie stumbled for his next set of words. "That's not true. I do like you, Casey. We just fight a lot. Kind of like Leo and Raph, almost."

"We're nothing like Leo and Raph! Unlike those two, you and I are not brothers no matter my thoughts or yours!" I snapped at him, tears never stopping from cascading down my face.

Donnie's eyes were wide with shock. He hadn't expected such emotion from Raphael's equally ill-tempered friend. "Casey, I don't get where this is all coming from."

I sighed. "You wouldn't. You guys may have had a rough past, not having enough food, or fearing being seen by others. But my sister and I, we hadn't enough food either. We weren't allowed to be seen by adults or else we would have been split up in an orphanage. You guys had family. My sister and I had each other. If I go down, then she'd die if not taken to an orphanage. If she goes down, then I would barely be functional anymore."

Donnie shook his head, not knowing what to say. "Casey, I'm sorry."

I sighed. "Don't be. You guys did have it hard and I'm selfish for bringing up my own problems when you guys could have been taken to a lab and experimented on. If we were found, we could have been separated."

"And if you were put into an orphanage, you both could be abused right now. Not all adoptive families are nice."

"Why do you think I didn't want Dani and myself stuck in one of those darn orphanages?"

"Separation, fear of abuse, neglect, being alone."

"All right on the nose, genius." I stated.

Donnie sighed. "I'm sorry, Casey, I didn't know."

I sighed. "Don't be. You knew that we had it hard, you just didn't know how," I looked up to the early morning sky as the rain continued to rage on. "You don't even know that Casey isn't my real name."

Donnie looked at me with sheer curiosity. "Your real name isn't Casey?"

I shook my head.

"What is it then?" He asked quizzically.

We were now sitting on a log in front of the pond. I watched as the pounding rain hit against the calm pond, creating ripples that spread off in different directions. "You'll laugh. I know you. If something isn't intelligent, you laugh at it."

"Is that really how you think I am?" Donnie asked, never peeling his eyes away from the rippling pond.

I scoffed slightly. "It's how it seems. You wave your intelligence around all the time, making all of us feel inferior. Yeah, I'm aware that I'll never be as intelligent as you. I don't need you to remind me that every day I wake up. Especially when I have a child who is dependent on me."

Donnie's eyes softened. "I didn't know that's how you felt. I'm sorry, Casey."

I shook my head as I grabbed a stone and threw it across the water, causing it to skip over the rippling water. "It doesn't matter. I've gone years hiding my feelings so I don't either hurt or freak Dani out." I avert my eyes to the sky, allowing drops of rain to hit my brown eyes.

I heard Donnie sigh. Maybe, just now, he realized I'm not the air head he thinks I may be. "I'm sorry, Casey."

I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling the rain drops fall against my skin, thunder rolling around us and lightning clapping across the sky, breaking it in two. "Arnold."

"What?" Donnie asked.

I turned my gaze to his reddish-brown orbs. "My name is Arnold. I changed my name to Casey, though. Don't ever call me Arnold, ya hear me?!"

He looked into my chocolate brown eyes. "I hear you. So I guess I can't tell anyone either?"

I growled. "You've got it buster!"

We had to go in after about thirty minutes or so. I tried to force him to go in sooner so he wouldn't get sick, but he didn't listen. I didn't really expect him to, either.

I tried arguing with him, but he kept his calm and stayed put. After a half an hour I had given in and went back to the farmhouse. Donnie had seemed relieved when I had and quickly followed. No doubt the fifteen year old was freezing. He was freaking cold blooded.

Which I guess kind of made me feel a bit guilty for not coming in sooner. He could have gotten sick, and then that would just make matters worse. If it was one thing everyone knew, it was that Donatello had the weakest immune system known to man. And the last thing we needed was the one person who could possibly fix Leo to get sick.

"Any signs of him waking up?" I ask as I enter the bathroom, watching as Donnie laid a finger against Leo's wrist, checking for any sort of pulse.

Donnie sighed. "No, none yet. His heart seems fine as well as his lungs, it's just he had lost so much blood, and even with the blood transfusion, I don't know how long it will take for him to wake up. Or," Donnie paused, "if he'll wake up at all."

"He will," I said confidently. "I know he will."

"I wish I could say the same." Donnie said brokenly. I sighed slightly. There was nothing more I could do there. Not that I could think of, anyways. I wasn't super smart like Donnie, and I didn't have that special brother connection that the rest of them all had.

I walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway. It was still so early. And the rain continued to strike at the roof and windows. It made everything seem so calm.

Well, calmer than what everything actually was. I looked over the railing of the stairs down to the living room. I smirked lightly. Yep. There was Mikey. Still curled up on the couch, not a snore protruding from his mouth.

He was normally a very silent sleeper, and a heavy one at that. The storm that continued to scream outside proved that to be true. Well, Donnie and I were the only ones awake, the rest being asleep, but I was normally a fairly heavy sleeper.

Well, I wasn't today.

I allowed a frown to fall against my face once more as I moved back from the railing, not wanting to watch Mikey sleep anymore. I walked once again back to my room, passing Raphael's and Red's.

I chuckled lightly when I heard the loud, booming snores coming from Raph's room. Obviously, he was a much louder sleeper than Mikey, but he was just as sound a sleeper. I shook my head as I passed April's. Her room was so silent. If I hadn't known better, I could have easily mistaken the room for being unoccupied.

As I approached my room I suddenly stopped. What did my room have to offer? Isolation. Silence. Bleakness. The only sound running throughout the entire farm house was the booming snores coming from Raph's room and the booming rain with its companion of screaming thunder and flashing of lightning.

Did I really want to be confined to that? No. Not really. But where else could I possibly go? I mean, this wasn't NYC. There was nowhere to go. And especially since it was so early in the morning still.

I sighed.

Where could I go? What could I do? I wasn't trained by Splinter like April and the turtles had been. Therefore, I couldn't meditate. I had found no need for it.

Now, I was resenting my stubbornness at the simple, calming, process. If I hadn't been so stubborn, this may had been a time to connect to my baby sister, but no. I'm too stubborn for my own good.

"Oh, no, I'm good. I don't need to learn how to meditate."

Bull crap.

Right now, that's all that I felt I had needed. But no. I'm too stubborn and proud to actually admit that I may need to be taught a few things. I growled quietly. So many kids at school had already told me that, but only now I was starting to listen.

I ran through the streets of New York, cradling my baby sister in my arms. She was sick. Very sick. I didn't have the money to take her to a hospital or a doctor, and they would surely ask for a guardian's signature.

She panted and sweated in my arms, whimpering like a scared puppy.

"C-Casey," She whispered, "I'm…s-scared."

"Don't be," I cooed gently as I made my way to the sewer. "I know someone who can fix you right up."

Yeah, maybe Donnie was a scientist, not a doctor, and maybe he and I weren't on great terms, but surely he wouldn't let a four year old die. He wasn't evil, he just didn't like me.

But, Lord, don't let our differences get in between him and my sister, I prayed.

Running through the familiar sewers, the water sloshed up, hitting my knees each time I took a step. I remembered, then, how unsanitary the sewers were. I shook my head.

This was the only chance she had left.

I ran into the lair, Leo was watching Space Heroes, Mikey was playing on the pinball machine, and Raph was beating on the practice dummy. I couldn't see Donnie so my only guess was that he was in his lab.

My presence hadn't yet been acknowledged, but, rest assure, it was when I yelled.

"Guys, help! My sister…she…please!" My plead sounded so broken. I hadn't realized that until the words had left my lips.

Immediately, eyes flew to me and the sweating bundle in my arms. Raph ran up immediately, Leo following, and soon Mikey. Donnie must not have heard.

"Mikey, go get Donnie." I could hear Leo say quietly. Mikey gave a silent nod before running towards the lab.

"Is this Dani?" I heard Raph ask.

I nodded. "Yes, she…she got sick a while back, but…I…I didn't think it would get this bad."

"Don't worry," Leo said softly, "Donnie can help her."

"I'm so sorry," I said desperately, "I don't normally ask for help, but this is all I want. I just want my sister to be ok. I won't ask for anything from you guys again, just…please…help her."

Raph placed a hand on my shoulder. "We're going to help her," He told me. "We're going to do whatever we can to help her."

"Thank you." I said timidly. Now, this was a new occurrence. Casey Jones seeming weak. Well, at the moment, I hadn't cared. I was just concerned for my sister.

"What's wrong?" I heard Donnie ask as he ran to us. "All Mikey was able to tell me was that someone was sick. Who's sick?"

I stepped up, showing him the panting, sweating, crying, bundle in my arms. "Please, Donnie, help her. I…I didn't know what to do. I…I don't care what you want in turn, all I know is I'll get it to you, even if I have to fight the Shredder myself, just…please help my sister."

He gasped lightly at seeing my little sister. He gently slid her into his arms, brushing away some sweat from her forehead. "I'll do what I can." He said before hurrying to his lab to make sure she was ok.

"We don't want anything, ya dork." Raph said, subtle sympathy just barely noticeable in his voice.

I shake my head, looking away from them. I couldn't say anything. What could I say? I had already ruined my reputation around them by acting the way I did, but I couldn't control it.

"How old is she?" Mikey asked.

I sighed. "Four."

"Four?"

"Yes, four."

"That's not very old."

"No, Mikey, it's not."

I could feel Raph leading me to the couch, sitting me down on the cushions. "Why don't you tell us what happened from the beginning?" Leo asked.

I sighed, rubbing my hands together. "Well, it started a few days ago. She had a small cold, I thought that it wasn't all that serious. Then it became slightly more serious, she had a higher fever, and she threw up a little. I gave her a little ibuprofen I've been saving ever since she was a baby. She didn't get like that until tonight. I put her to bed at around nine o'clock. I tried putting the heat lamp near her to help offer a bit more heat, but it didn't help much. I woke up to hear her strangled breathing, and here we are now."

"Wait, did you say 'heat lamp'?" Leo asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. That's the only major heat source we have. I mean, we have a thin blanket, but she uses that."

"You must get cold at night."

"Oh, believe me, Mikey, I do. But I don't mind. I live on the ice, so a little cold isn't going to bring down old Casey Jones."

Leo looked thoughtful for a bit. "Y'know, you both could live down here. Master Splinter wouldn't mind."

My eyes widened, but they didn't see. Raph slung his arm around my shoulders. "Yeah, Case, why don't you both live down here?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"I'm not used to getting help, and I'm not going to get used to it now."

"Ugh," Raph groaned, "you're so freaking stubborn, Jones. Y'know that?"

"So what?" I ask, becoming slightly defensive.

"So what?" Raph growled, poking me in the chest with his finger. "So what is that you're going to get your sister killed."

I paled, but my stance still stood. "I've made it this far, I can go longer."

"But can Dani?"

"Don't bring her into this!"

"Why not?! Because you know I'm right?!"

"Raph." Leo warned.

Raph growled dangerously. "No, Leo. He needs to know what he's doing to his sister."

"Shut up, Raph!" I yelled, punching him in his mouth. He was appalled, and so was I. But I acted like I wasn't. "I've been trying my fucking hardest! Ok?! I'm trying! But you wouldn't know what living alone, and looking for food just for your younger sibling! You've always had a parent that tried his hardest to get all of your food! You wouldn't know the burden of being responsible for everything that happens! And, yes, you've never had an easy life, but you don't have to provide food, education, and clothes to your siblings!" I yelled.

Everyone was shocked. So was I. I had never meant to blow up like that. I breathed in and out, deep hissing breaths, not realizing that my teeth were bared together.

No one spoke. No one knew what to say. And neither did I. Sorry would have been a great start, but apologizing wasn't my strong suit.

"Casey," I heard from behind. I whirled around to see Donnie exiting his lab, "your sister is stable. You can go see her."

I nodded to him, mumbling a quick thanks, before entering the lab, my eyes landing on my sleeping baby sister. Her sweating had gone down, and her breathing had settled out.

I rubbed her hand gently. "I'll protect you from anything and everything. I promise."

Shit.

I broke that promise.

Probably millions of times.

I slapped my hand against my head. I'm so foolish! I growled. Not anymore. I walk to my room, shutting the door behind me, locking it. I walk to my hockey bag that contained my hockey gear, such as, hockey sticks, pucks, and pads. But those weren't the gear I was looking for.

No, I was looking for something way at the bottom of the bag. A weapon I never showed anyone. Ever.

A knife.

I smile at it as it shimmers in the light of my ceiling light. Dani had given it to me as a gift one year, saying she got it from a secret Santa thing at school. Weird how they'd have such things at a school for gifts.

I take one of my hockey sticks out and begin dragging the knife blade against it, sharpening the silver blade.

"I'll find you, Dani." I said quietly.

I continue to sharpen it until my hockey stick is all gone. For precision, I throw the knife at the wall, it's silver blade cutting right into the barrier, embedding itself into it.

I smirked lightly. "One way or another."

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