Donnie had placed his glasses down, then began to rub the bridge of his nose. It, just didn't make sense. None of this made sense.

There had been a bit more luck this time around. They had hit suddenly enough to where not every bit of evidence had been wiped, but most of it still was lost. Whoever these guys were, they were good. Unfortunately, part of the evidence just confirmed a suspiscion they all already suspected. That infant had indeed been Raph's.

"Dammit!" Donnie lost his patience for a moment, his fist slamming hard onto his desk. "What in the hell is going on!" He almost roared to the computer screen in front of him.

"Donnie?"

The frustrated turtle placed his glasses back on before turning towards the tentative voice, and was a bit startled to find Helen standing there. With a steaming cup of coffee and a sandwich.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, of course." Donnie scrambled to clear a space for the approaching meal and Helen set the plate down, then the coffee. The aroma of both sandwich, a grilled cheese, and beverage making his mouth water and stomach rumble. How long had he been in here this time?

"I'm not bothering you?"

Donnie shook his head, a wry smile pulling at his lips. "No, my dear. As a matter of fact, the break is greatly appreciated."

He picked the mug up, blowing on the hot liquid a moment as he eyed the woman over the rim of his cup. Helen was by no means unwelcome in the lab, or their home in general, but it was such a rare occurrence for her to come in here that it did question the sudden appearance, with his favorite snack of all things. Helen just stood there, her eyes seemingly everywhere else as she fidgeted a little. Her body language alone was enough to clue him in that something was on her mind. What, remained to be revealed.

"I used to be like her." Helen finally admitted, sitting slowly on the cot against the far wall.

Donnie's ridge raised, but before he could ask for clarification on what she meant, the single mother continued.

"I hated you all. Even after Leonardo pulled us out of Spencer's lab that night, it took me a very long time to understand that you weren't, what you used to be." Helen shrugged slightly under Donnie's gaze before turning her embarrassed eyes away. Now a spot on the floor had her attention. "I know it's not the same scenario, but the feelings were the same."

The purple masked turtle tilted his head, biting his lower lip in thought as he took this unexpected information in. "We did notice that. For a long while you wanted nothing to do with us. Despite Daniel always being in here."

Now a soft laugh escaped her as she shook her head. "You have no idea how many times I told him to stay away. He just kept insisting and sneaking off. He just decided that he liked you all and moved himself in."

An amused snort left the lean turtle as he rolled his eyes. "Yes. It seems everyone we have invited into our lives and home actually invited themselves and we were unable to evict them. If I didn't know any better, I would assume that the unknown author of our lives takes great enjoyment of doing this to us."

That earned him a shy grin as Helen met his gaze. "I noticed that." Now her eyes softened a moment as she bit her lip in thought. "But, you have been good for him. We, didn't have much before. And his education..." She smiled a little as she met Donnie's eyes "has taken a positive turn. Regardless of his best efforts to mangle the english language."

Donnie chuckled a little as he leaned back in his chair in an effort to get more comfortable. "Yes, he stubbornly holds on to his verbal butchering. I'm starting to think he does it on purpose now because it irritates Leo."

"You know he does." Helen gave him a small grin before growing somber a moment. "What I'm getting at is, I can understand how she feels. It took quite a bit for me to overcome my own perceptions, and her trauma is much worse than mine. But, I can understand how she feels."

Donnie locked his eyes with hers again, sensing this was supposed to lead somewhere. The matronly woman in front of him blushed before breaking that gaze, her attention once more drawn to the floor. That didn't sit well with Donnie, so he set his coffee next to his still untouched sandwich and rolled his chair closer. "You know, I can also understand." The smile he gave her was a little somber. "For a very long time, we had been the ones every one was afraid of. I can imagine that would be a hard thing to over come, but you did."

"It took time." Helen agreed with a light nod. "But I did. Well, time and other things. And I found a wonderful home here. Eventually she will too."

"Very optimistic of you to think that she would even want to live with us. Right now she seems intent on holding grudges."

Helen just shrugged, a slight smile still playing around her lips. "At least she isn't hitting you with bedpans anymore."

The flat look Donnie gave her actually caused Helen to burst out in almost uncontrollable laughter.

Shaking his head a bit ruefully, he reached out and took her hand in his. Not even really thinking about it. "What ever the case, I'm glad you are here now. You and that little obnoxious male child who refuses to fix his grammar. No one makes a grilled cheese quite like you."

"A grilled cheese that still tastes like poop if it gets cold."

Donnie took the hit and scooted back to his desk, now taking up his snack and munching on it. Helen, stayed. She sat with him and they talked easily over the new few hours while he worked. Her presence holding that blinding frustration at bay.

.

.

"Oh Mister Leonaaaaaaaardo!"

Leo couldn't hold back the grimace and eye roll as someone made his presence known. "What is it Daniel?"

"I foooooooound something!"

Leo turned from the task of making his daughter some lunch, an eyeridge raised "It's not another raccoon is it? The last time you 'found' something it hid in the vents and ripped out the wiring."

Little Hope found that statement amusing if one could go by the giggling and hand clapping from her high chair.

Leo just smiled at his daughter before refocusing on Daniel who had moved into the kitchen by this point.

"Nah. Not today." The boy grinned, obviously remembering the chaos that ensued when the four large turtles tried to flush the critter back out. "I'm savin' that fer special occasions."

Leo gave him a flat look, then mumbled. "We should have just turned the boy loose on Shredder, would have saved us all a lot of time and hassle..." Hope giggled again when Daniel grinned and winked at her.

"Anyhoo!" Daniel chirped before digging around in one of his many pockets. "I was snoopin' again and found somethin'."

"And are you going to tell me what it is? Or was your intent to annoy me with your butchered grammar, forcing me to try and puzzle it out myself." Leo set the plate down for Hope before turning to face Daniel fully.

"Both!" the boy grinned at him.

Leo gave him a flat look in return.

Daniel laughed before producing the content of his pocket. "I was snoopin' along the eastern edge of ol' Buckethead's old lab supply compound. Ya know, out by the river?"

Leo nodded, not surprised at the child's adventurous spirit anymore. Daniel was always going off and 'snooping'. And no amount of punishment would deter the young man. Leo took this with a grain of salt, because more than once he had managed to bring back some useful information.

The information this time was placed in his waiting, outstretched hand. Leo looked down, eyes narrowing as he took a moment to puzzle out what this crumpled up mess was in his palm. Then his eyes widened. "How long ago were you out there?"

"Early this mornin'."

Leo nodded, returning to the sink area to clean off the object. Once the dirt had been removed, it revealed a small, tin box with a special set of engravings on it. Engravings Leo knew very well, and a low growl escaped his throat. Sure, the box was filthy, but there was no reason for it to be here in the city in the first damn place. And it looked like it hadn't been out there for a extended long amount of time. Maybe a few months at the most. Opening it up, he was unsurprised to find what he did. It was a pendant, engraved with the same pattern that was on the box. A combination of Shredder's old symbol with a black rose entwined around it.

The large turtle slammed the box onto the counter, spun on his heel and stormed to the door to retrieve his gear.

"Where ya goin'? Miss Lotus gonna yell at you."

"I'll survive. Go find her and let her know I'm leaving. But I'm not going alone, I'm taking Mikey with me."

"But-"

Leo spun back, a dangerous fire in his eyes as he glared the boy down. "Do not argue with me Daniel. And you stay away from that part of town. Is that understood."

Daniel's face paled as he saw the look on the leader's face, then hurriedly nodded. For once, he was actually scared to upset the mutant. "Yes sir. I'll let her know now."

Leo didn't hear him as he geared up and left, heading to the barracks. His mind was somewhere else.

She was back....

.

.

Mikey was startled when his door slammed open. With enough forced to rebound off of the wall and start to slam shut again. It was hindered in that effort when Leo caught it with his hand, stepping into the room. And his expression was one Mikey hadn't seen on Leo's face in a very long time. Anger, and hate.

Taking off his headset, he now ignored his computer game and stood up to greet his brother.

"I need you." Leo curtly told him.

"You got it." Mikey knew better than to question Leo. Not when he was like this. Mikey quickly grabbed his own gear and once he was ready, both turtles left the room. Leo leading the way at a brisk trot out of the barracks. The younger turtle sideeyed the older one, patiently waiting. he knew once Leo got enough control of himself, the details would be filled in. Right now, he just had to settle with the fact that he was needed.