As per normal, house rules apply thus not mine, don't sue ect ect.

Late One Night.

Chapter 8.

"Up and at em', guys." If it wasn't for the familiar voice of the red headed turtle, Dean would have pulled his weapon from under the pillow near instantly and attacked.

While Sam slept the remaining night away in a daze of vodka, pain pills and cheap motel soap with the soft throb being the only reminder as to why he was where he was, Dean on the other hand wasn't so lucky. After he changed, he wasted the night away sussing out a scene the shifter created just to mock them. Followed by leading a search party of officers in hope to find any further clue as to where the bastard might be. Needless to say that he didn't get back to seven in the morning. The only thing that made hanging with the cops worth it was finding a couple of bloody marks every now and there, ending at a sewer entry mere eight blocks from the house.

Raphael, clad in his motorbike gear, on the other hand had chosen the bright time of ten to make his entrance, pulling the covers from both brothers as he spoke.

Sam turned to his back and rubbed his eyes, hair a mess, leaning more to his right side to avoid putting pressure to the throbbing wound while Dean, laying on his stomach, grumbled, mumbling strings of words, some more understandable then others, turning his head in attempt to check the time on alarm clock on the bedside table but failing. "Dude, you better have a decent excuse for breaking in here at..." squinting against the harsh light that the cheap motel curtains failed to lock out to try and read the time, yet again"...ten? Common! I just got to sleep a couple hours ago..."

Sam leaned further back on his arm to meet the turtles' wide awake eyes when a thought crossed his mind. "Speaking of which; how'd you get in?"

Crossing his arms, Raph answered with a sly smile, a little too smugly for the Winchester's liking. "That's ninja to you, pal. Now freshen up, ladies, we need to talk serious. Coffee's on the table so get moving."

The mixture of a sigh and groan engulfed the room as the brother got to work in moving their ass's out of the warm confines of their beds, their cheap flimsily motel beds but their beds never the less. For youngest, it was a sigh out of annoyance. The combination of pain and a late night mixed with pain killers made the task of actually getting up somewhat troublesome. For the eldest, it was a groan out of frustration and tiredness. Three hours sleep just wasn't suffice for the events of the past days and night and the tasks to which he had to undertake. While Sam pushed his off the bed and made way to the bathroom, Dean merely moaned as shifted around and got comfy, knowing damn well how long the wait would be, uncaring that there was no blanket.

Being the big brother he was, looking out for the other had long past being a choir and just become force of habit, letting the other go first was something that had long become somewhat of an unwritten rule for them. It was why he chuckled, somewhat sheepishly, when he heard the clattered thumps of his freakishly tall brother trip over the shoes he had taken off as he walked into the bathroom a mere few hours ago as he changed and cleaned before heading to the comfort that he was currently all but making love to.

"Dean! How many times have I told you about leaving shoes in the doorway...and suits on the floor for that matter!" the door slammed and was flowed by mumblings no doubt directed at the brother in question while he cleaned up before making use of the room. "...you know what, never mind. Just goes to waste anyway..."

Knowing how morning routines in general followed, Raphael quietly waited; grabbing one of the three coffee's from the cardboard box before getting comfy on the couch. It had been a long day and night for all of them, not just the Winchester's. After they left, all focus turned to Mikey and the injuries and tales that went with it. Needless to say that that was just the beginning, after which, the orange headed brother then headed to his room with the assistance of Leonardo and Donatello under orders of sleep.

Something that would both ease and restore both his body and mind from the damage and use of the night and that to which had followed, as the master had put it.

But that wasn't the end of it, unable to sleep, Raphael decided to pot around the lair, just like his brothers and father. But unlike his brothers and father, he spotted his so called brother reading a book. Not the usual comic book either, but a book book; Romeo and Juliet. Something that April had suggested the guy read in hopes of maturing him into a adult a little quicker, however finding a spot of his bookshelf never to be touched instead.

If that wasn't enough to trigger him to something not being right then it was the way he caught his so called orange headed brother looking around, almost like he was looking for the first time while plotting possible things, highlighting possible weaknesses in the structures and areas to which he could exploit. It was Michelangelo refusing to eat pizza that was the final straw. Raphael deciding to head out to clear his mind not long later; speeding around town to vent some anger while sorting things through in his head. Whatever happened down in the sewers, this wasn't his brother. This wasn't right and he knew that, shame none of the others saw it the same way. They might have shrugged the pizza incident off, putting it down to what happened traumatising the guy somewhat, but he couldn't.

It was once the anger ran out that he stopped for a coffee and watched the sunrise from the outskirts of town on a rocky mountain top whilst leaning against his prized bike that he decided what to do. He needed help, to talk it through with experts, not only experts in not freaking out at the sight of a five foot turtle, let alone ones who could determine the different between a turtle and a lizard, but someone who wasn't bias. Raph needed to get to the bottom of this and he needed to now. Luckily he knew just the ones to go to.

Despite the ride back to town, let alone for more coffee, his mind was still alight with questions and worries. What annoyed him even more was the aspect that neither fist nor Sai blades could fix the problem. 'Raph, stop! You're here for a reason, these hot-heads aint gonna judge; it's why you're here. Calm yourself, brother, or else.'

Sighing, with his free hand, Raph rubbed his face, purposely removing his bandana before rubbing his neck.

Twenty minutes later, a refreshed and somewhat awake Sam Winchester emerged from the bathroom with a towel donning his hips as he made way to his bag to attempt find something clean to wear, let alone something that could be passed as clean. This hunt had them up to their necks with trying to solve the case, meaning they had jack all time to tackle fundamental extras such as doing laundry let alone bar trips and dealing with the hormonal need. It was then that he noticed the turtle and the state of stress that radiated from him as he stared at the red bandana in his hand, lightly playing with it. "That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea...though I could just be paranoid, but then that's never a good thing coming from me."

Sam stood there, staring at the back of the green head; thoughts running lose at what the issue possibly could be in order for the rough and tough guy of the bunch to be in such state of loss. Shaking his head, he stopped the thoughts in order to get changed so the matter could be dealt with. He turned to head back to the bathroom in order to finish when he was stopped by the gruff voice in question.

"Don't worry about me, I won't look. I've busted my brothers without their shells more times than enough when we were younger to know when to keep my eyes close, yet another skill from my ninja arsenal. Let your brother use the shower."

He hesitated, not used to getting changed in such open spaces let alone with someone else in the room that wasn't someone of the opposite sex."...umm, alright." The notion was still awkward but he tried to let it slide. Sam walked over to the two double sized beds and chucked his cloths to his before hitting Dean's foot. "Common dude, bathroom's yours."

A moan and sniff before the brother managed to roll to his back, letting lose a yawn as he stretched. "I think that was world record for 'Sammy's bathroom time'. What; didn't let Junior out to play today?"

Sam awkward cleared his throat before pulling the pillow from Dean. "Dude, that was a onetime thing, and if you remember; you walked in, you didn't knock. Now common, move your ass."

"Yeah yeah, can't have you bitching while we have company." he joked back before sitting up and scratched his stomach followed by standing. Grabbing a coffee from the cardboard tray on his way to begin the ritual of the day, reluctantly if any.

After quickly getting dressed, glancing to the turtle in the room to make sure he wasn't looking while doing so, Sam went and claimed the armchair as he put on his shoes and socks, getting a bit of a shock at actually seeing his eyes. "...Woa..."

Raph looked up. "Hmm?"

"Your eyes, they're different without the bandana." He nodded as put on his socks.

"Yeah, gets me too. White with it on, brown with it off. Same for Leo and Don, though weirdly enough Mike's are blue; it's why we tease him about being adopted half the time. We stopped questioning it a long time ago."

"So what's up?"

Taking a deep but quiet breath, Raphael spoke away his worries. From what he learnt of the human brothers, this Sam was the better one to talk to in general. But when he thought about it, he came here for their opinions, not just the one, not to mention that he didn't practically want to be explaining the story twice. "Wait for your brother then we talk."

Needless to say at that remark, they were met with the yell of pleasure coming from the bathroom, the shower to be precises. "...Son of a...baby..."

Raph looked to the bathroom door while Sam planted his head to his hands in shame. Shame to even be associated let alone related to the guy in the next room. 'Dean, why now? Why can't you have a brain like everyone else I frigging know?'

The turtle cleared his throat and leaned back further in the couch, cluching his bandana slightly tighter. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the guy was doing in there, especially when he grew up with three other brothers the same age. Raphael was just glad that he was the quiet one when dealing with his own need.

They made small talk for a further five minutes till the elder hunter emerged from the bathroom, fresh, clean, fully dressed and somewhat happier. He passed over one of the coffee cups to his brother with the sugar bottle that came with the cheap motel table before sitting down with his own, watching Sam kill the poor liquid with the white granules. "You know, I must say; bike leather really suits your figure, adds to the whole 'mean and green' look that you seem to be going for. So what brings you to our part of town so early in the morning..." lifting the cardboard cup in his hand "...not to mention Starbucks?"

Sam gave Dean a cautionary glare to shut his mouth before he started more trouble then what they already had at the moment afore turning his attention to the turtle to speak his mind.

"So these shape shifters; say you had your suspicions on one...no...What's the best ways to test to see if they're human or monster?"

The elder brother edged forward in his seat, coffee lightly cupped between his hands, arms leaning on his knees as the leader in him took over to direct the way; one of the few things Sam could admire in him. "Alright, shape shifter 101; Silver and eyes. Silver hurts like a bitch and kills them and their eyes flair on camera." His eyes narrowed as he met the turtles straight on, unflinching "There is only one reason your asking this question, and going by your current state of stress, compared to your usual self confident nature, something isn't right in 'ninja turtles world', so tell me everything and leave out no detail."

"Please, it's vital." Sam comforted after his brothers stern words.

Again, Raphael calmed his breathing. It was time to be judged, either he would be told he was being paranoid or he would have uncovered something that would save his brother...if it wasn't too late. 'Battle nexus champion, remember? Ninja? He can handle himself, bro.' "Mikey...he aint acting himself. While he returned more or less himself in response to the night that passed, it's his actions that are suspicious...Leo, Donnie and Splinter aint seeing it but I am."

The brother's nodded, listening while drinking, letting the turtle speak.

"It aint much but I know the fool just like I know my brothers and father, so I know when something aint right with him. After he told us what happened while Fearless Leader and Donnie sorted his injuries, we put him to sleep but he didn't settle. I glimpsed him reading an actual book and not his normal comic books. A few years ago April brought him Romeo and Juliet to read, hoping that might mature him; yeah right! He flicked through it, awkwardly said his thanks while pretending to be interested, followed but putting it on his bedside table to never touch it again. He aint known for having brains you see.

"Next thing that rubbed me the wrong way is the way I saw him looking around the lair; almost like he's plotting something, looking for a weak spot or something. The way he usually view it...what I saw aint right. Last thing the ticked me off before I stormed out early this morn was him refusing pizza."

Dean chocked on his drink, having to wipe his mouth and nose.

"Before; come rain or shine, brutally beat up or supposably dying with a cold, he never refuses it. Never in his life time. The others just put it down to the shock of what happened, that there is a first for everything. But I aint stupid, this aint the Knucklehead that I grew up with."

"And you sure about this? Because if I go down there, guns blazing, all to find that the guy is all himself and nothing more, then there is a poor chance that I'm coming back in one piece, and I've been dead and done before, aint nothing new but I prefer not to repeat the experience." Dean made sure to leave out his own fear about being sent back to hell.

"About as sure as I am with an anger problem."

"So yes?"

Raph glared in response to which caused the brother to shift uncomfortably in his chair. "Alrighty then it is."

Sam too, shifted back in his chair as his mind went to work. The last thing he wanted, they wanted, was to made enemies out of these guys. They were already on America's Most Wanted, and these guys had the means to put them behind bars once and for all. "We can't exactly go and jab the guy, Dean; even if it's the shifter, both are gonna retaliate and it won't end well..."

"Yeah and having one pissed of shifter on our ass is bad enough without ninjas. I've watched enough movies to know how that ends." Dean slyly remarked in response.

The younger brother continued, ignoring the comment while the turtle followed the conversation in silence, relieved to not be crazy, not officially anyway. "...Best I can think of is the 'last year alive' gig."

Dean groaned, slumping back in the chair, arms arcing out before coming to a rest on the armrests. "Dude, seriously! That wasn't exactly a pleasant experience you know."

"No one said you were dying, Dean."

"Well I prefer not to, Sam. You saw what happened last time."

To say that Raph was confused at the brothers bickering would have been an understatement. "Wait, hold up guys. What about this 'dead' business? Care to explain for the shell in the room?"

Dean grumbled grumpily to himself causing Sam to smirk, a moment before the memories came rushing back. Dean crossing his arms before having to answer his now ringing phone, making way to the outside of the motel room to leave the duo to one of the more unpleasant moments of his life. "Yeah...No, Bobby, we haven't got the bitch yet, get of my case..."

...

Sam retuned his attention to the turtle, unsure where to start. "Well, where do I begin? So basically long story short; a couple years ago I turned my back on a guy and got killed. Dean, in whole new state of crazy, went and made a deal with a Crossroads Demon in order to bring me back to life. Next thing I know, I'm waking up and Dean only has a year to life."

Raphael was in somewhat a state of shock at hearing that; only new to that world of bump in the night but hearing about it in this sense was a real eye-opener. He though he and his brothers had it tough, as it turns out, these guys had it worse. "...Shell...then what happened?"

"Long story short again, his time came up and had Hellhounds sent after him. Time passed then the next I know, he and Bobby are knocking at the door of the motel I was staying at; good as new, with not a scar to show."

The turtle blinked in surprise, mouth open but unsure of what to say all for Dean to walk back in, somewhat calmer. "...yeah considering the 'hounds went at me like a chew toy not to mention the real party below."

"...How did...?" Raph answered with confusion, logic failing him on all accounts.

Sam answered for him. "Angel."

Dean stepped in to ease the expression of confusion that was lining the turtles face, removing his shirt to show the hand print that graced his shoulder. "Castiel. My own personal brand of angel apparently. He risked his ass to pull mine out."

While he was following along and understood where the brothers were coming from, there was only one thing that concerned Raphael about that and that was that nothing comes for free. "So what's the deal? What you have to do in response? Nothings for free, Shell head, turtle nor human."

Dean chuckled with amusement while Sam finished the last of his coffee before getting up to pull a camcorder from his backpack. "I don't get paid enough to tell you that one, Shrimp-face."

Sam scolded his brother by name as he came over, taking a seat, flashing it to the turtle before opening it to see its status, continuing to explain his idea like they didnt just get sidetracked. "So best we can do to be sure is play that game, it isn't suspicious enough to tip it off if it isn't your brother. Plus, we know the rolls, not hard to act."

Plonking himself down from putting his shirt back on, Dean but in. "Yeah but see I don't see why he would believe us. We haven't played it any differently before today, why start now?"

Sam smirked as he flicked through some of the clips that were still on the device, long ago forgetting about them. "Because, Dean; I'll be high on painkillers. A few words here and a frown there. Point sold."

Dean was taken about with a touch of shock, blinking to get his mind cleared once more. "Christ, you're starting to sound like me! Kind of scary..." pausing when curiosity took over "...but since when do you record events anyway? I don't think I've ever seen you with the damn thing unless were on a job."

A sly grin, the coffee mixed with the remains of last night's painkillers mixing in a weird way. "Well maybe you just aint paid attention." Pressing play, Sam turned the video recorder around for the other two in the room to see. "I have here footage of Bobby's birthday last year, you know, with Helen and Jo. This here is Jo attempting to show you how to dance to the Nut bush."

Dean stared at the small screen with disbelief, the event not even coming to mind. 'I remember some of the night...but that? That aint me...that can't be me...fuck, that's me...' coughing awkwardly. "I don't remember that. I don't dance, Sam."

"Mind you, this was after she challenged you to a drinking match. You're drunk."

"...Son of a bitch...explains why everyone was smirking at me the next day."

...

"...And this is yet another page of our ever weird life's; mutant ninja turtles. Believe it or not, they have a giant rat as a father." Sam narrorated as he shot, hand fidgeting with the screen as he followed his brother exiting the elevator into the lair of the said turtles. "Dean, say something."

The brother turned and glared with a mixture of annoyance and frustration. 'Common Vegas...hurry up and take me already.' "Sam, if you don't get that camera out of my face then sware I'm gonna kill you myself, deal or no deal. And just so you know, you're banned from taking painkillers, like, forever."

On the way over they discussed the idea in further detail, making sure that they understood to keep making references to help aid their disguise. Not that it was that hard to do when you put a camera in front of Dean's face.

Leonardo was first to greet them as they turned up that afternoon, Raph had informed his side that he wanted to head straight back out that afternoon to hunt shifter, that he wanted revenge for it hurting his brother and that he wanted the brothers there to help.

"So what's with the camera? I mean, if you guys are planning of turning us is..."

Sam butted in before the turtle got any further in his train of thought, closing the camera screen and lowering it as they entered, Dean walking away leaving his brother to talk with the blue headed being. "Look we wasn't going to say anything but Dean...Dean is dying, hasn't got long to live.

Honestly, it occurred to me last night as I was drifting off that all I'll have of him would be his car and his fake ID's." All too glad that he studied theatre, he done some improv with emotion "...don't want to look back in years all to have nothing visually that will help me remember him by...as corny as that sounds."

The turtle nodded with understanding, while he could have asked more questions to satisfy his curiosity and mind, he didn't. He knew and respected the aspect of keeping secrets; after all he was basically a secret from the world. With good reason after all. "Sorry... I had no idea..."

The hunter palmed a hand through his hair. Supposed relaxing at the trust he was being shown. "Hay, before we go on; I'll appreciate it if you didn't mention anything to Dean, I don't want him to get the wrong idea and start getting depressed and mopey."

Dean called the lair to attention as he entered, making sure that his arrival was known, knowing that his brother was explaining what he was doing to the lead turtle. It was go time; this shifter was going to die tonight once and for all. It had its time, it had its taunts, now no more. Dean was pissed and there was a fifty fifty chance it was in the same room. He raised his voice as he made way to the table, pulling his drinking flask to drink. "Alright Freakazoid's. Town meeting time in regards to tonight hunt! Move it."

Sam bowed his head and let out a breath of annoyance, both in character and for himself. At this rate, his brother was going to scare the shifter away if Raph was correct.

Raph emerged from his room the same time as Michelangelo, his disgust and anger deepening, too sure that it wasn't the brother that he grew up with. Lucky for him, he was known for his anger and hot headed nature; for his family it was just another day with Raphael.

Donatello closed his laptop and made his way over while Master Splinter huffed as he turned off the TV, a little disappointed that he was going to miss the end of his show.

As they all claimed their seats, Raph leaning against the wall not far from the table, unable to stand sharing the same space with the supposed brother let alone the same table while Dean took charge, back saddling his chair as he laid flat a map that he had been keeping tabs on the areas that have been searched in the sewers, and possible places that the recent clue might reference to. "Tonight's hunt is going down like this; these two areas..." pointing to the red circled spots "...will be the most likely to contain the Bitch. Going by the remaining tunnels and areas, as well as this morning's clue, this is more likely due to the room. See, the bastards more likely to capture people that it's imitating. Although...what gets me is the lack of Missing People Reports, this guy is playing it smart, more likely taking the look of the homeless, people are none the wiser that way. Tonight we're one man short tonight with Jones watching out for that April chick, guy called on the way over.

"But what can you do? Shifter is upping his game. Can't blame the guy. Teams are as follows; Sam you lead Leonardo and Donatello. I'll lead Michelangelo and Raphael. Being that we're playing injured, Splinter; you're with me. I don't want any repeats of last night, guys. Watch your ass tonight. Hopefully by the morning we have one dead shifter to burn. Any questions?..No, then lets head out."

Everyone started with a mixture of shock and awe at the guy, unsure if he was being serious or close to crossing the line into the no return of crazy. Eventually deciding that it wasn't wise to further piss this guy off, they made their moves, getting up and leaving the table.

Sam held up one hand as he pulled the camera out with the other, calling their attention so he could perform the ultimate test. "Wait, hold up guys, before we all disappear I just want to get a group picture. Bit of a memory thing...and before you guys say anything; Dean and I are on the most wanted list, believe me when I say you're safe. Figured now would be better then later when were all tired and exhausted, if we wrap this up tonight then we're be likely gone by the afternoon."

Dean took yet another drink from his flask, playing his part. "Sam, don't, alright. I aint fucking playing this game alright? I've been up most the night, had barley any sleep this morning; last thing I want to do is put up with your 'creating memoires of my dying brother' crap. Now can we go?"

Sam glared at his brother before giving the puppy dog look. It was almost like a couple years ago when Dean really was dying and some of the arguments they had due to it, it also ment that it wasn't too hard to improv, drawing from experience.

"Wait, is Dean dying?" Donatello asked with a high amount of concern and worry.

Both Winchester's spoke at the same time, a mixture of 'yes' and 'no' filled the lair. Young silently questioning the elder as a result.

"Is this true, Dean Winchester?" Master Splinter asked, something of a fathering aurora lacing the words.

Again both brothers spoke the same works, another stare causing Dean to roll his eyes and take another drink as Sam explained. "Yeah, he is... without going into detail, something supernatural is killing him, in eight months time..." he drifted off, the answer obvious.

The rat nodded afore turning and ushering his sons together. "Come my sons, let us grant the Winchester his wish; Dean, come here, would you please."

A growl emerged as the hunter succumb to the rat and made his way over. The turtles ruffling his hair or patting his shoulders in attempts to make him feel better, only to be lightly shoved away in a playfully annoyed matter.

Sam grinned as he opened the video camera and supposably set it to picture mode. This was the big moment, if all went well then the orange headed turtle in front was in fact who he was, however if it wasn't, their job would became twice as hard. Lifting up the camcorder he pressed record, pretending to be setting the setting for the perfect picture...

"Are we done yet?" Dean growled with the annoyance of someone being forced to do something they would rather gorge their eyes out then do from where he was standing in the group; Master Splinter in the middle, hands resting on his walking stick with Leonardo to his left and Donatello to his right to which had an arm playfully around Michelangelo's neck while Raphael crossed his arms grumpily on the other side, while Dean awkwardly stood at the back being the tallest.

"Yep, all done, fantastic."

That was the Code word... Michelangelo wasn't who he appeared to be.

Raphael let loose with a growl of his own as he charged the imposter with all the energy he could muster in his five foot being; all his anger, all his worry, his frustrations, concerns, his love for his family, everything coming together to fuel his attack. There was a reason he was the strongest fighter out the lot, it just was his anger that held him back when he didn't concentrate it. His brother, his real one, was in danger, somewhere out there, alone and in trouble, there was no way he would let this...thing...get away this time.

That was all the focus he needed.