Yay! I managed to up the chapter length! It's the longest chapter yet! I'm super happy, and I shall reward myself by watching awesome martial arts fighting scenes. I'm in love with Donnie Yen! To those of you who don't know who he is, he's an awesome martial artist. :) If you're a fan of martial arts movies, watch Ip Man. It's awesome. Sorry, I'm getting off track here! XD I believe that the next few chapters will be a bit longer as well. Sorry about the not so great length for the last few chapters. I hope that you guys don't hate me too much! XD Can you believe that we're still on the same day in the story? I mean, what's it been? Two or three chapters (depending on if you count halves)? It's kinda crazy.

Thanks to PrincessAurora1000, xTMNTx, TimidBookworm, Alura Nescire, dondena, Vampy, oj-angel1573, Margui/I Love Kittens too, and Silver FoxWolf for reviewing! I can't believe that so many people reviewed! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, LOTR, or Dexter's Laboratory.


When Donatello finally managed to lift his heavy eyelids, he could barely see at all with his messed up vision. He was only able to see the white walls and other undefinable blobs of different colors in the background, but they were constantly shifting and swirling around in a strange fashion. It looked like someone was using the distort tool on a picture - but he or she was having too much fun and didn't want to stop. Don always hated it when Mikey did that; it made him sick. This was like that but times ten...cubed. Don closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to improve his sight, since he knew that he would be sick if it stayed the way it was, and he opened them again after a while. When he did, things were better; the world had stopped turning, and he was now able to focus on three nearby green blobs and a strange gray shape that he still couldn't quite make out. He tried to clear his cloudy vision yet again by blinking slowly a few times. This helped to make the images more visible, and he could now see multicolored bands on the top parts of the green blobs.

"My brothers!" his befuddled mind concluded. "And Master Splinter!"

As time passed and he woke up more, Don became truly aware of the pain he was in. No part of his body was safe from the agonizing sensation. However, the pain strangely seemed like it was dulled down, leading Don to believe that someone had given him a drug to make the feeling less torturous. Don also became more aware of his surroundings, and his eyes finally managed to focus well enough to see his family's faces. He stared up at them. They were all looking down at him with worried expressions.

"Why are they all the way up there?" Don wondered. He was so confused at the moment that it wasn't even possible to convey how he felt in words. "Where am I? What's going on? How did we escape?"

And the most unsettling of all: "Shouldn't I be dead?"

This riveting question nearly shook him to his core. All of the sudden, he remembered that terrifying moment when Karai was towering menacingly over him, trying to kill him - trying to literally squeeze the life out of him. Terror fiercely gripped him once more, and he discovered what he wanted more than anything else at the moment was to be in the comforting arms of his brothers and father.

Despite the intense emotions playing through his heart, Don could not display his discomfort. His body was too weak to do anything but perform involuntary tasks and stay awake, and it was struggling enough with that. However, his family could sense his distress. Master Splinter was the first to speak. "My son," he addressed, "how do you feel?"

Hearing his father's serene voice calmed Don. He tried desperately to kick his brain into gear and think of a viable response. After his addled mind was able to create one, he attempted to open his mouth to respond but found that he wasn't strong enough. To be honest, he wasn't entirely surprised; after all, he could barely even see out of his glassy eyes. It also felt a bit strange when he breathed; it was much easier, but it didn't quite feel right. Through all of his mental confusion, though, he was able to notice what was making it easier for him to inhale: the breathing mask that was plastered to his face. "What happened?" he wondered. "Where did the breathing mask come from? How did I get here? Is my family alright? Did we beat Karai? Or is she holding us captive right now?"

Too lost in his thoughts, Don didn't realize that he still hadn't answered his father, who was becoming very worried. "My son, can you hear me?" Master Splinter asked.

Once he was brought back to reality by his father's voice, Don tried yet again to answer his master but to no avail. He couldn't move his head to nod up and down either. This frustrated him considerably, but what could he do? How could he communicate if he couldn't even move his head? It was then that he thought of moving something smaller, something that wouldn't take so much effort. With this in mind, he mustered enough strength to lift up his index finger and tap it once.

Michelangelo caught this motion. "Don? Donnie, can you hear us? Tap once for yes and twice for no. Wait...why would you say no? That doesn't make any sense...ok, just tap once if you can hear us!"

Don heard a small noise in the background that sounded like someone getting smacked on the head. He smiled inwardly; that was the unmistakable sound of justice being served. In an effort to respond to Mikey and the rest of his family, Don managed to lift his finger up once more and tapped.

Mikey sighed heavily in relief, as did the rest of his family. "Donnie, you're ok!" he exclaimed. He wanted so much to hug Don, but he knew that doing so would only endanger his brother's welfare. Little did he know that a hug was exactly what Don wanted at the moment. Donatello gave a small hint of a smile that was nearly undetectable, but his family caught it just fine and smiled back - which was the next best thing to a hug. Don's glassy, tired eyes looked back at them affectionately.

"Let him sleep," said a deep voice that was also nearby. Don couldn't see the one who had said those words, but he didn't need to; he would know Leatherhead's calming tone anywhere. "He has been through a lot today and he needs his rest."

Everyone immediately saw the truth in his words after getting another good look at Don. His body was completely covered in cuts and bruises, the worst of which was the large purple blob on his neck. His eyes were only half-open, as he didn't have much strength and was struggling to even stay awake. Don was more exhausted now than he had ever been in his life. His body ached so much, and his eyelids seemed as heavy as a massive truck which he was constantly trying to keep from crashing down. The idea of sleep was definitely welcome.

Leatherhead reached over to the IV and put some sort of liquid into it. Don almost immediately closed his tired eyes. His body relaxed and he allowed himself to fall asleep. "That should help him to rest peacefully," Leatherhead informed his guests. "It should be a while until he wakes again."

"So...he's ok, right?" Mikey asked.

"Your brother is in a very fragile state right now," Leatherhead replied. "I suppose you knew that already, though. It may take a while, but I believe that Donatello will recover, provided that he gets lots of rest."

"That's great," April sighed in relief. "I was so worried. I've never seen Don like that before. It just about scared me to death! I'd really like to stay here with you guys and make sure that he recovers alright, but, unfortunately, I can't stay much longer. Casey will be getting worried and it's pretty late. Quite frankly, Don's got the right idea here; I'm pretty tired myself!"

"That is quite alright, Miss O' Neil. Please do not compromise your own health for ours. Can you make it back home by yourself?" asked Master Splinter. "One of us would be willing to accompany you if need be."

"No, but thank you for your concern; I should be able to make it home alone. Besides, you should stay here with Don," April politely declined. "Thank you for your hospitality, Leatherhead."

"It is always a pleasure, Miss O' Neil," Leatherhead said.

April bid them farewell and expressed her wishes for Don's health to improve once more before leaving Leatherhead's place for her own cozy apartment.

"We ought to get some rest as well, my sons," Master Splinter said.

The turtles nodded. The fatigue from their battle was taking its toll on their bodies, and they found that all they wanted to do was go to bed as well. However, they weren't entirely sure about leaving their brother all by himself.

"My friends, you are welcome to stay here in this very room!" Leatherhead offered, sensing their uncertainty. "I would not mind it at all, and I am sure that Donatello would not as well. I have more than enough beds for you."

"You are too kind, Leatherhead," Master Splinter said, bowing in thanks.

Mikey moved one of the beds up next to the one that Don was sleeping in, and his brothers followed his lead. Once their beds were all lined up, the clambered onto them. Soon they were all huddled together around their brainy brother. They gained a sense of security from being together like this, and this feeling allowed them to settle down for some well earned rest. Master Splinter smiled at his sons' actions. He was extremely proud to have raised such loyal brothers. Not wanting to disturb his sons, he decided to settle down by the foot of Donatello's bed to get some sleep. That night, the entire Hamato family slept soundly and peacefully.


The next day, the turtles' bodies were aching so badly that they stayed in bed for quite a while even after waking up at a considerably late hour. It took a while, but they finally mustered the strength the kick their throbbing muscles back into gear, and they pulled themselves out of bed. Donatello slept on, since he still hadn't recovered from the previous day's events. The bruise on his neck had now turned a deep shade of purple that was even darker than his mask and was slightly tinted red. Master Splinter had gotten up much earlier than his sons and had been sitting by Donatello's side for a while. The worried, overprotective father in him just wouldn't let him rest for long while his son was ailing so. Leatherhead, noticing this, had been kind enough to fetch him some tea to help him relax.

"How is he, Sensei?" asked Leonardo, who was the first to crawl out of bed.

"Donatello's condition has improved a little," Master Splinter replied. "His breathing has become easier. Leatherhead told me that he is well enough now that he no longer needs that breathing machine. He has removed it, as you can see."

"That's good," commented Raph, who was still stretching.

"Do you think he'll wake up any time soon?" asked Mikey, rubbing his eyes drowsily.

"It is very difficult to tell," their sensei replied. "Your brother's spirit is still mending, but I believe that he will come to us shortly."

Just then, Leatherhead walked into the room, carrying a tray with tea on it. "Master Splinter, I have brought you – oh, my friends! I am so pleased to see that you are finally awake."

"Mornin', Leatherhead," Mikey greeted.

"Good morning to you, Michelangelo – and all of you," Leatherhead returned. "I trust that you slept well?"

"Yeah, but I just can't seem to wake up," Mikey said, still rubbing his eyes. "I jus' wanna go back to bed." It was rather hard to make out his last sentence since he said it while yawning.

Leatherhead smiled a bit. "I see. I shall go and prepare breakfast since you are awake now."

The turtles were still not particularly hungry – worry was still eating at them – but they knew that they should have something to replenish their energy. They had really worn themselves out in that fight, and they definitely had the scars to prove it.

After breakfast was done and the turtles and their master ate all they could, they discussed their plans.

"So, where are we gonna live?" asked Raph. "We can't go back to the old lair; Karai knows where that is now. How did she ever find it in the first place anyway?"

"I don't know, Raph," said Leo. "You're right, though; there's no way that we can live there again. It's not safe."

"So we have to move? Again?" Mikey whined, even though he had known that it was inevitable.

"Yes, Mikey. Sorry, but we just don't have any choice," Leo said.

"Yeah, I know," Mikey mumbled. "It still stinks, though."

"But where are we gonna live for now?" asked Raph. "Are we gonna go out and look for a new place? Can we even move Donnie with the way he is?"

"Those are all very good questions, my son, but none of us yet know the answers to them," Master Splinter said.

"I can answer one," said Leatherhead. "You can stay here for now. I have plenty of space. I'm sure I could clear out a few rooms for you. This place is big enough to house us all. It would be no trouble at all!"

"Are you quite sure?" asked Master Splinter. "Would we not bother you?"

"Of course not! I would be delighted to have you as guests in my home," Leatherhead assured them.

"If you insist."

"And I do."

"You are a most gracious host. Domo arigato gozaimasu."

The turtles copied their master's words of thanks and bowed along with him.

"Please, there is no need for such formality," Leatherhead told them, but he was flattered by their words nonetheless. "You may go and gather what you need from your home if you wish."

"Do you think it's safe, Master Splinter?" asked Leonardo. "And what about Donnie? I don't want to just leave him."

"I do not believe that you will run into any trouble there yet," Master Splinter replied. "Karai has suffered many losses, and she will not expect you to return so soon. You need not worry about Donatello; I will be here with him. I shall call you immediately if anything happens."

"You sure?"

"Quite."

"Alright then. You coming with me, guys?"

"You betcha!" Mikey responded.

"Yup," Raph simply replied.

"I shall see you later then, my sons. Please be careful!"

"We will!" they called as they turned to leave. "Ittekimasu!"

"Itterasshai!"

The turtles crept out of Leatherhead's hideout and stealthily slipped into the sewers. After making sure that the coast was clear, they left for their home. They made it safely to their old lair and immediately began to pack what they needed. It was hard to limit it to only that, but they knew that it was necessary. Michelangelo brought the most prized issues of his comic collection (who knew what would happen to them if he wasn't there?), a few small, portable games, and Mr. Bear. It took him a while to convince his brothers that these things were necessities, but he eventually won - thanks to his puppy dog eyes. Leonardo took his most prized possessions, a few books, and all of their necessities, such as their cash reserves and food – he couldn't let Leatherhead feed them all by himself. He also packed a few of Donatello's things in case he wanted them when he woke. Raphael brought only his punching bag; it was all he needed. After all, the two were star-crossed lovers.

When they finished packing up what they would need at Leatherhead's, they carried it home. By then, it was getting late. Master Splinter was still sitting silently by Donatello's bedside.

"Anythin' happen while we were gone?" asked Raphael.

"No, my son," Master Splinter replied. "However, I can feel that Donatello's spirit is much stronger now. He will return to us soon."

This made the brothers very hopeful and excited. What they wanted more than anything was for Don to be well again.

"May I help you with your luggage, my friends?" asked Leatherhead, who was standing in the corner – but not in a creepy way.

"Uh, sure."

"Usher, Usher, Usher," Mikey sang jokingly, earning him a whack on the head. "Ow!"

"As I was sayin'," Raph said with a devilish grin, "we dumped most of the stuff in the livin' room, since we didn't know where to put it."

"That is fine. We can take care of it later."

Raph was about to say something else when Donatello started to stir in his sleep. Everyone's eyes were instantly on him. Groaning and making deep noises in the back of his throat, Don finally woke and opened his eyes. The first one he saw was his father, who was seated by his bed. He greeted Don with a warm smile.

"My son, how are you?" he asked softly.

This time, Don's brain was a bit less clouded. He was able to think straighter, and his eyes focused more quickly than they had the last time. His body was also stronger, and after his mind processed his father's words, he managed to open his mouth to answer in a croaky whisper, "I'm alright." His words were somewhat slurred, most likely from all the medications running through his body. It was nearly impossible to hear the true, calming voice of Donatello beneath the rasping, but his family recognized it nonetheless and was glad to hear it.

Leatherhead presented a glass of water to Leonardo. Since his brother was still too weak to hold it himself, Leo held the cup to his brother's lips and allowed him to drink the liquid in small gulps. Doing so lubricated Don's throat and cleared away some of the roughness that his voice held.

"Is that better?" Leo asked.

Don made a small motion that looked like a nod. "Much," he answered. His voice was still raspy, but it was a definite improvement from what it had been before. "What...what happened?" he asked, pausing to take a deep breath in the middle of the question.

"You mean...you don't remember?" Mikey inquired, his face twisting up to create a confused expression.

Don shook his head but instantly regretted it and winced from the pain. His neck was immensely sore from where Karai had grabbed him, and the bruise was very painful. It hurt his throat to speak as well, but it was something he was willing to endure. He needed to know.

"Do you remember any of it?" Leo questioned.

"I remember Karai...breaking in," Don began, now arduously taking in deep breaths.

"Do not exert yourself, my son," Master Splinter warned. "You have more than enough time to tell us."

"Mmm," Don hummed in understanding. "I also remember...being woken up...by the Foot." Don's breathing became more rapid and shallow as he came near to the most unnerving part of the story. "Then Karai...grabbed my throat...and I-I couldn't...breathe. I don't remember...anything past that – everything...is just a blur. How...how am I still alive?"

Everyone winced at how solemn his deep brown eyes were as he asked that question. They then realized that Donatello had really believed that he was about to die. In that nerve racking moment, everyone had. It was torture to think back to that paralyzing instant that had lasted forever – absolute torture to think to when they had almost lost their dear Donatello.

"It is a complicated story, my son," replied Master Splinter, the only one who was able to find any words at all.

"I have more...than enough time...to listen," Don countered, a small, wry grin gracing his otherwise distorted features.

Master Splinter smiled as his own words were turned back on him. "Very well." He explained to Donatello what had happened after Karai had attempted to kill him. He told him about April and Casey's fortunate timing, how much they had worried, and about Leatherhead's gracious hospitality. Don listened intently through the entire story until it was finished.

"I'm sorry to have caused you...so much trouble," Don said once his father had completed the tale. His breathing had grown easier while his father had been speaking, and he didn't have to take so many pauses in order to breathe properly. His lungs had needed a chance to warm up.

"No, Donnie," said Leo. "You didn't do anything."

"I know; that's the problem. I did nothing."

Leo sighed. "You know that's not what I meant. There was nothing that you could have done. There was nothing that any of us could have done. There's no point in worrying over our past mistakes. We did the best we could, and we made it out alive; that's all that matters," he said to the surprise of everyone. He had obviously learned much from the Ancient One on such matters.

"Yeah, Leo's right," said Raph, actually agreeing with his older brother on something for once. "Don't go beatin' yourself up over somethin' that's not your fault."

Don nodded in understanding, but doing so this time made his throat feel all scratchy. He coughed as a reflex to rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling, but that only made things worse. The itchy feeling became more agonizing and he was forced to cough again – and again. Then he found that he couldn't stop coughing. Each time, the pain in his sore throat was even worse. He coughed until his eyes started to tear up and he was desperately out of breath.

"Come on, Donnie, just take deep breaths," said the calm voice of his eldest brother. "There you go; that's it."

Don's breathing slowly became easier and more steady, but he was still panting. He was thoroughly exhausted by the end of his coughing fit, and he sank back into his pillows even more.

"Are you tired now, Donnie?" Leo asked. "Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"No, I don't...want to sleep yet."

"But you really need to-"

"It's ok, Leo. I can stay here with you, Donnie," Mikey suggested, knowing the true reason that his brother didn't want to sleep. "We could keep each other company until we fall asleep."

Don considered this. "Ok," he answered with a smile.

Michelangelo smiled back. "Cool!"

"Then I guess we should all be retiring," Master Splinter said, standing up. "Good night, my son. I will see you in the morning." He bent over to kiss his sick son on the forehead.

"What about me?" Mikey asked, a look of mock hurt on his face.

Master Splinter chuckled. "Good night, Michelangelo," he said as he kissed his youngest son on the forehead as well. "Sleep well."

"G'night, Sensei," the two younger turtles called before their father left the room.

"Don't keep him up, Mikey," Leo warned his youngest sibling.

"Me? Never," Mikey replied with a bright smile.

Leo rolled his eyes. "I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah."

"See ya in the mornin'," Raphael said as he stood up.

Leo and Raph left to go set up the new rooms that they would be sleeping in after making sure that their two younger brothers would be alright. Leatherhead brought in a small old television and set it up in the room for Mikey and Don's entertainment. He also gave Don some more medicine to ensure that he would be comfortable. After the two young turtles thanked him, he bid them goodnight as well and left them by themselves.

"Are you really sure that you're ok, Donnie?" Mikey asked as soon as Leatherhead closed the door. His bright blue eyes, which were usually sparkling with mischief, were wide with worry. It wasn't a look that was usually seen on his face, but it pulled on the heartstrings of all who saw it.

Donatello was definitely a victim of this. Looking into Mikey's eyes, Don thought of what they had all been through. He could only imagine what it would have been like if Mikey had been strangled, but he quickly put that image out of his head; he had already seen his brother die once and that was quite enough for a lifetime. "Yeah, Mikey," he replied as honestly as he could. "I'll be alright now."

Mikey smiled at Don's words. "Good. You really scared us, bro! You went all Frodo on us after he was stabbed by that Nazgul sword."

Don smiled at the comparison. "I know; I'm really sorry."

Mikey smiled back. "It's not your fault, though. It's just...we were all so worried! I was so worried." Mikey's voice cracked at the last sentence as his eyes began to well up with tears. He furiously rubbed at them to try and make them go away.

Don looked at his brother in shock. "Oh, Mikey..."

"I'm sorry, Donnie!" Mikey said as he shook his head as though he was just being silly.

"No, Mikey, it's ok. I'm here. Don't cry," Don told his brother comfortingly. There was nothing worse than having to watch his little brother cry. He always looked so pitiful that Don couldn't just sit by - not that he would ever want to anyway. With great effort, Don mustered all his remaining strength and moved his arms to welcome his little brother. "Come here."

Mikey instantly dove into his brother's arms and hugged him tightly. Don gently hugged him back and whispered calming words. Mikey held on to his brother fiercely like a lifeline and allowed himself to be calmed by Don's soothing presence. There was just something about his immediate older brother that made him feel safe and calm, like nothing bad could happen while he was there. Mikey really needed to know that his brother would be there for him after such a scare, and Don needed to let Mikey know that he was alright. This way, they both got their much desired hugs and needed comfort.

The two stayed in that position for a while until Mikey calmed down. Once he could control himself, Mikey rubbed his final tears from his eyes and didn't allow himself to cry anymore; they'd had enough drama for quite a while. "Thanks, Donnie. I really needed that."

Glad to have helped, Don smiled comfortingly at him. "No problem. The real question now is 'are you ok?'"

"I am now," Mikey said. This time he didn't even laugh at the overused quote.

"Good." Despite everything that was going on, Don couldn't help the yawn that escaped him after he said it; he was extremely tired.

Mikey noticed this along with the tired expression on his brother's face. He cracked a smile. "You know, Leo's actually right; you really should go to sleep."

"I know. I just...I didn't want to be by myself."

Michelangelo nodded in understanding; he knew that feeling well. "I know what you mean. Here, let me turn on the TV. Is there anything you wanna watch?"

"No, you can pick."

"Ok then." Mikey walked over to the TV and turned it on. He surfed through the channels until he came to a cartoon show that he liked. "Ooh, 'Dexter's Laboratory!' This show is awesome."

Don smiled. "Yeah, I remember this one."

"We used to watch it when we were little."

"Deedee, get out of my laboratory!" Don tried to do an impersonation of Dexter, but he strained his voice too much and erupted into more coughs. This fit wasn't too bad, though, and he soon got over it.

"Don't hurt yourself!" Mikey joked as he handed his older brother a glass of water.

Don gulped the water down quickly and regained his composure. "Yeah, that was pretty stupid."

Mikey laughed. "It sure was!"

"Hey, Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for staying with me."

"No problem!"

The two watched TV and enjoyed talking to each other until they were completely drained of all their energy and couldn't stay up any longer. Don closed his eyes and was the first to fall asleep. Mikey curled up next to his brother like he used to do when they were littler, and Don unconsciously wrapped his arms around him. Listening to the strong beats of his brother's heart, Michelangelo fell into a peaceful sleep.


...Bromance!

Haha, sorry, I couldn't help it! XD Sorry if I made anyone OOC, especially Mikey. I just thought that he deserved it after seeing his older brother almost die. I tried to make this one of those "recovery chapters," but I'm not too sure how I did. Thank you for reading!

Ittekimasu and itterasshai are kind of like okaeri and tadaima, but you say them when you/someone is leaving instead of coming home.