I sat in the recliner, and waited. As stated before it wasn't exactly easy to do, but it had to be done. I didn't have a choice, so I waited, and hoped.

I looked out the dark window, taking in the calm night. He was so far I really couldn't feel him and I shuddered at how far they must have traveled for that to happen. It didn't mean he wasn't there, just that it was harder for me to reach him and I didn't waste the effort trying. I had to trust in him, because I didn't know how to do anything else. That and I had my own orders. I didn't like them, but I would follow them. He had his part to play, and I had mine. I just calmly sat in that chair, and waited. Waited for the signal that I hoped I would get soon, so I could start my own preparations.

I sighed, as my eyes looked out into the distance, not really seeing anything. I hated waiting.

.

.

Amy was crying again and Dennis really couldn't blame her. Her wrists and ankles were raw from fighting the handcuffs and every time they were allowed to go on a bathroom break, they could barely walk they were so stiff. And still they were forced back into the chairs after every trip.

It literally hurt to sit now, the skin had by now gone raw and their pajamas more and more began to attach to the moist areas caused by that. To even move slightly shot pain through them that made him gasp, and Amy cry. Sleep, hard to do as it was before, was impossible now and on top of everything else fatigue was wearing them down.

Dennis could only watch numbly as his sister cried, unable to put the words together to even try and comfort her in his current state. He just numbly stared at the floor, trying to keep his thoughts focused through the tired haze that was quickly developing. He still held onto that hope, knew they were coming. He just didn't expect it to take so long and doubts were starting to fill him. What if they couldn't find him, what if they had been seen and caught by the government? What if they got hurt by the thugs that took him and his sister? What if...

The lights went out. Dennis struggled to bring his thoughts into focus...the lights went out...

There were a few startled shouts, and Dennis' hopes began to rise...could it be?...

Then they came back on as the rumble of a generator kicked in and that dashed his hopes lower than when they had started to rise. He felt himself giving up. He wasn't going to go home, and Amy's crying picked up even more telling him she was dealing with the same crushing morale blow.

"W-w-w-we aren't ever going to go home..." She almost wailed next to him. "Dad isn't going to come up with the money...and Mom can't-"

The lights went out again, cutting her off, only the sounds of her sniffling filling the darkness.

"Who forgot to fill the damn generator!" Came an angry shout from the other side of the door, from the leader who had ripped them from their family.

"It should be full!" Came the reply shout.

"Go fill it again!"

There was a quick pass of a shadow in front of the window to the room and he just looked out of it, not fully comprehending. It was so quick he wasn't even sure he even noticed it and he was about to brush it off as wishful thinking.

"Hey! Where the fuck is Robert? He's the one with the keys to the damn shed!" Came the voice of the guy who was told to fill the generator.

"He should be out by the gate!"

"Well, he's not!"

"Then go find him!"

"He's probably on the pisser." Someone helpfully added.

The first voice walked away, grumbling.

And still they sat in the darkness as the minutes ticked by.

"Johnny! How long does it take to to fill that damn generator!"

Silence.

"Johnny? You better be putting gas in that fucking thing!" The leader yelled as his voice faded out, then there was the sound of a door slamming.

Dennis was trying to bring his tired mind to focus, but couldn't. But hope was quickly rising again as the darkness kept covering the compound. "Johnny!" Came from outside then. "Where the fuck is he?"

"I don't know!"

"Somebody better go find him!"

Then came a loud crash from outside, and the sounds of something rolling across the property. "God damn it you idiots! You've got flashlights! Use them! You just knocked over our water supply with your clumsy asses!"

"But Jeremy, none of us were over there!"

"Well someone knocked it over! Johnny! Where the fuck are you! Robert! Did you give him the key to the shed yet?"

"Hey, anyone seen Tom? He was supposed to relieve me ten minutes ago."

"He was just here, I just talked to him."

"Well he isn't here now Shaun! And I want off of guard duty! My feet hurt."

There was another loud thud.

"What the fuck was that?" Jeremy exclaimed. "Shaun, go find out what got tipped over this time." Silence again. "Shaun?"

"Maaan...I'm getting a bad feeling about this..." Someone else said. "Place is fucking haunted, yo! I told you this place was haunted!"

"Oh, will you shut up Ed!" Jeremy snapped. "Idiots probably knocked themselves out on something."

"All the flashlights are in the shed, and we still can't find Robert."

"Then break the damn door down before all of you idiots destroy the place with your two left feet!" There was the sound of a door being kicked in, followed by silence. "Did you get in?" The sound of crickets chirping was the only answer he got.

By now Amy's sobbing had stopped as she also began to notice what was going on. Even as she brought her desperate head up to try and peer into the darkness, trying to see anything to give her a reason to hold onto that fast building hope, and hand carefully covered her mouth. "Shhh..." Came a voice very softly in her ears, barely even audible.

It was all she could do to nod once as the tears of relief spilled down her cheeks. The hand retracted and there was a quick succession of very quiet thuds coming from the guards by the door as the cuffs were released then the rope was untied from her waist. "Can you stand?" Donnie murmured quietly as he helped her to her feet.

She did, but stumbled a little from pain and weariness. A hand reached out from behind her and quickly steadied her. "Easy." Leo mumbled.

"Hey Ed! What was that story about this place again?"

"Swamp ghost man! I'm tellin' ya this place is being haunted by the swamp ghost!"

"Ed!" Jeremy snapped. "If you don't shut the hell up with that shit I'm going to-"

"Wooo-oo-oo-oo-oo..." Came a spooky, and obviously a Mikeyish sounding voice in the darkness. "I am the swamp ghost! I will give you wedgies and tie your shoo-oo-oo-oe laces together..."

"Why me?" Leo muttered as he carefully picked Amy up.

She wasn't even paying attention to the commotion outside anymore as she threw her arms around him. "Leo!"

"It's ok Amy, we're here now." His calm voice told her as he held her close. Donnie was now quickly unhooking Dennis.

"Fuck! Run! It's the swamp ghost! It's gonna-umppf!"

"Ed! What happened?"

"Someone tied my shoelaces together!" He squealed, then there was a high pitched squeak as another shouted. "I just got wedgied!"

"Fuck this shit! I'm out of here!"

"Me too!"

"Stay put you morons-Oww! God damn it! When I find out which one of you ass clowns started this wedgie shit Ima gonna fuckng kick your asses!"

"Time to go?" Donnie asked amused as he helped Dennis to his feet.

"Time to go." Leo answered and led the way. He quickly crossed the room and Amy noticed a section of the wall had been carefully removed, easily allowing them to slip out into the dark night.

"But Jeremy! None of us is doing it!" Came Ed's protesting voice. "I'm telling you! It's the swamp ghost!"

It was quiet for a minute then "Or someone trying to distract us! Check on the kids!"

"Damn!" Leo snapped as he hauled ass to the fence.

"It was inevitable." Donnie told him.

"Was hoping for more time!"

"Swa-a-a-a-amp ghost is going to get-" Gunfire rang out in the night. "Shit!"

"Over here!" Came around the same time as "They are gone!" Which was around the same time as Leo and Donnie cleared the fence with their burdens. They didn't even stop as all hell broke loose behind them.

"Don't just stand there you dumbfucks! Find them!"

Leo and Donnie ran on, now running as fast as they could in the tangled underbrush, trying to put as much distance as they could between them and the compound they just left behind.

After about a half mile or so they slowed down and finally came to a stop, waiting. Leo peered intently out into the darkness as something caught his attention. "Swamp ghost?" He asked Mikey incredulously as he came into view.

Mikey just shrugged as an impish grin found it's way onto his face. "Dude gave me something to work with and I ran with it."

"Fucking idiot." Raph mumbled as he walked up from another direction.

"Yeah, he was kinda dumb to give me ammo to work with."

"I meant you, stupid."

"Oh..."

Leo just shook his head and sighed before he turned his attention to the teens. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine, now." Dennis grinned back up at him.

"I'm not so sure about that." Donnie mumbled as he ran his scan over them. "They are exhausted, and they are pretty tore up on the back. Good lord, did they keep you tied to those chairs the whole time? You've got the chair's outline literally etched into your skin..."

"Well, not the whole time." Dennis told him dryly. "They actually let us up to go to the bathroom."

"How nice of them." Raph muttered darkly. "I think I'll go back and thank them for that courtesy."

"Not now Raph." Leo told him firmly.

"You are not just going to let them slide are you?"

"No. I'm not. But right now we need to get them out of here. Time for that later, and I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunity."

Amy had just stood quietly there, just taking in the fact that they were now safe. They were now with their family. She just held onto Leo as he spoke to his brothers and the arm he had wrapped carefully around her did wonders for the downtrodden girl. She had been on the edge of losing hope, but now, she knew she was safe and that they would keep her that way. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come." She finally quietly admitted to the large turtle as he gently guided her along.

"Amy, I'll always be there if you need me." He told her gently. "Nothing will ever keep me from doing that."

"And it looks like we still have to do so tonight." Donnie broke into the conversation. "They are coming out here after us."

"Then lets put some distance between us." Leo said and once again led the way, his sure footsteps guiding hers through the dark swamp.