Okay I've got some bad news. First of all, I'm terribly sorry for this late update. It took me so much longer than I thought, the chapter just didn't want to be written. Mostly because I hadn't thought out this part of the story yet :/

Secondly, tomorrow I'll be leaving with a couple of friends on a holiday. And we'll be gone for at least 2 weeks. So that means I won't be able to write and/or update during that time. But I will have Wifi occasionally so I will be able to reply and see reviews *hint hint* :)

TMNT

All four of the humans knew of our secret lair already. Leonardo had told Melanie a few weeks ago to convince her, so she already knew where the lair was. April, Casey and Mr. O'Neil knew about the lair, knew how it looked like. But they had never seen how to get to the lair. Blindfolded to prevent them from knowing. But right now I owned them too much.

Too much to withhold this from them.

So once we went down into the sewers, through the entrance Donatello had built once, I switched positions. It pained me to leave my sons like that, They were all reluctant to let me go, but we had to go home. So they could heal, and feel safe again after all this time. Over two months. So I gave directions to April's father, which eventually led us to our lair entrance.

I had seen a lot of movies, read a lot of books, throughout my human and mutant years. The situation was similar, secret superheroes, vigilantes coming home injured from either a kidnapping or just a fight. And the few allies hurrying them to the medical bay and patching them up. Hectic, spinning camera's, end of a chapter.

But this was nothing like it.

They were already stitched, they were already treated. There was nothing either of us could do.

And while they tried to be brave in the facility, while they tried to be brave in front of all those humans… they weren't okay. They pretended they were. But they were just teenagers, too young, and too traumatised right now. And it was definitely showing.

"How are they?" April started softly. I sigh softly, my ears dropping at the thought of them.

"Together for now, but not asleep." I keep my head casted downwards, my heart heavily pounding at the memory. Casey and April had dragged numerous matrasses, pillows and blankets towards Leonardo's room and we all moved them to Leonardo's room.

Even though it was quite late already, I don't think either of them will fall asleep any time soon. And something tells me that they won't be trying. They want to be together, while they couldn't be in the last 10 weeks.

"I'm sorry Master Splinter" April whispers eventually and now I do turn around, flashing her an apologising smile.

"None of this is your fault Miss O'Neil. In fact I should thank you for saving my sons, and myself"

"Any time" She smiles, but I can see that the smile isn't genuine, it's clouded by sadness. Sadness over the horror that is known to her. "Just call if you need anything" She whispers after a few seconds of silence and I nod as an conformation. April, Casey and Mr. O'Neil would be spending the night here in our lair.

It was already very late right now, and it was a silent agreement that they stayed because of the .. mental state of my sons. I wouldn't be surprised if something were to happen throughout the night, and they'd need comforting. And while I was perfectly fine with giving them that comfort, I was sad at the prospect of having to.

They were children, teenagers. They didn't deserve to go through this.

But it happened.

TMNT

It had been a few hours when I sensed someone approaching me. My ears perked up and I could just restrain myself from jerking around to see who was approaching me. It would only scare whoever was approaching me off. So I carefully turned around, searching for the person responsible.

Just in front of the stairs was my youngest son.

"Michelangelo" I whispered as a greeting. He seemed slightly startled by my comment and hesitantly took a step backwards, fear shining in his eyes. "My son.." I breathed out in equal shock. Was he afraid of me? My own son.

He could not be.. right?

There was a short silence where our eyes both met, and my youngest kept silent the whole time. I was about to stand up, walk up to him, but he beat me to it. Hesitantly he took a step towards me, and shyly he started to walk towards me. There was a blue blanket wrapped tightly around his body and I sadly noticed the stiff posture.

He was clearly having some difficulty with walking, still weak from everything they did over there. Not as bad as Donatello, but still significantly present.

He carefully stepped into the pit and walked up to me. I had expected him to hesitate but he immediately walked up to me, crawling into my lap, just like he did when they were still little tots. He didn't say anything but just wrapped himself tighter into the blanket and rested his cheek against my chest.

"My son" I breathed out again, but then wrapped my arms around him.

I cringed slightly when the action caused my youngest to whimper pitifully, stiffening in utter fear. "You are safe now my son, do not worry" I whispered in his ear, slightly repositioning him so he was a bit more comfortable, and I was as well.

Still he did not say anything, only taking comfort into the hug. I should have expected something like this to be honest. Melanie had told me about his treatment, him being shielded away from the rest of my sons. But even so, Michelangelo had always been closer than the rest. Or more open I should say. Unlike the other he was not afraid to ask for help or show emotion.

I sigh softly, swallowing a couple of times before opening my mouth. At first he stiffened in my hold, barely restraining himself from whimpering again, but slowly he relaxed a bit when the familiar tune of the lullaby was recognised, the same lullaby I used to sing to them as toddlers, and the same one Melanie had used to contact me.

Yurikago no uta o
Kanariya ga utau yo
Nenneko Nenneko
Nenneko yo

Yurikago no ue ni
Biwa no mi ga yureru yo
Nenneko Nenneko
Nenneko yo

….

TMNT

The next thing I knew was the smell of food filling my nose, the stifled noises filling my eardrums, and the immediate sense of an emptiness around me. I slowly opened my eyes, immediately realising that Michelangelo was no longer at my side. There was a blanket draped across my shoulder, which brought an unconscious smile to spread across my face.

I shifted slightly, feeling the joints pop with some kind of weird satisfaction. The smile that was on my face however immediately vanished when I saw my youngest laying on the ground in the middle of the pit. Raphael and Donatello were lying next to him, Raphael in the middle and the two youngest clinging to their older brother.

And yet I could not get myself to smile at the sight.

Dark circles were under their faces, even more visible now they weren't wearing their masks anymore. The only one missing, but surely in a similar condition, was my oldest son.

"Rest for now my sons" I whispered, my ears dropping as I looked at them. With a heavy heart I turned away from them.

TMNT

For once, I had no idea what to say to break the silence. I had always been the one to say something, anything to cheer someone up. Or to just let them know I was there for them. But right now, I could find nothing to say. And that wasn't because there was a giant turtle sitting in the same room as me, but it was because of the reason I knew them.

The capture, Splinter being injured a little less than three months ago. The hasty escape that led them, and us, towards this lair. I couldn't say anything, couldn't find my voice for some reason. I could only, maybe cowardly, look from the corners of my eye how Leonardo was sitting there. Spaced out, shoulders hunched in sadness and defeat.

Traumatised.

"Good morning Miss O'Neil" Someone suddenly called out and I let out a little yelp, immediately turning around to see who was calling. There was a faint tug at the lips at my reaction and I playfully huffed out of habit.

"Morning Master Splinter" I said, earning a nod in return. "I hope you don't mind but I'm making breakfast." I added. For a second he seemed a bit surprised before a small smile tugged at his lips.

"That is quite alright, thank you for your offer" I smiled in return, if only for a split second. The second master Splinter turned towards his oldest son I remembered why this has all happened, why I was even here.

Master Splinter took a few steps towards his oldest son, concern written on his fact before saying something in Japanese. Immediately I felt something that I hadn't felt in the short time I knew Master Splinter, unwelcome. I felt like I was intruding. He didn't want me to hear it, this, a moment between father and son.

Leo didn't look up and mumbled something back in Japanese. The sentence short, and I had no clue what he was saying. A vague blush spread across his cheeks before he finally turned to his father and hesitantly asked something, still in Japanese. There was only a small hesitation present with master Splinter before he fully walked over to his oldest son.

I felt myself frozen as Leo wrapped his arms around his father, sliding off the chair he was sitting on. Splinter in return fell to his knees, burying his son in his chest.

The sobs that slowly started was the thing that managed to snap me out of the daze. I quickly turned off the fire and slowly made my way outside. My heart clenched at the sight of them, Leo had his face completely buried in Splinter's robe, while the latter held him tightly, rubbing his shell in a comforting matter.

The cup of tea I had given him, at that moment still boiling hot, completely forgotten. He hadn't even sipped it, not even a tiny sip. Only taking comfort in the little warmth of the cup, needing it after being awoken by nightmares, after helping his two younger brothers into the pit after they all freaked out by Mikey's disappearance.

They relied on each other, now more than ever. But they also needed their father for comfort.

As if they'd all planned it, two green eyes were staring at me when I walked out of the kitchen, and towards the pit. I flashed him a soft smile, walking into the pit without making any noise.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked him, keeping my voice down so I wouldn't accidently wake up Mikey and Donnie. And from the looks of it, they really needed their sleep.

"I'm fine" Raph scowled, sporting the same bags under his eyes as his younger brothers, and his older brother. I sigh, wanting to say more but from the few times Splinter talked about his sons, I gathered that that wouldn't be very wise. Raph would most probably deny this, deny his fears. And besides, if he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

Who was I to push him? Who was I to already break the little trust that was between us?

"Okay, just call me when you need something. Casey's here as well but he's still asleep. My dad has to work but will be back tonight with some groceries." Raph didn't answer and just shut his eyes again. I sigh again, I really shouldn't've expected something else. While he clearly knew I helped him, he.. well the ones that did this to his family were human, and I was a human as well.

Besides, he was vulnerable right now, exposed. And victims never liked that. Dad told me, having worked with traumatised children in the past. A bit too convenient for my liking, that I was now in the same situation as my dad's work. But at the other side I was also glad that he knew how to deal with this.

"Definitely don't push them sweetheart. No relative must do that, and especially someone they barely know."

He had told me. So I wouldn't. I wouldn't've wanted that if I were in his position.

So I quietly stood up, leaving the three of them alone, fully knowing that they needed the time alone. I take a short glance at the kitchen, the sobs still vaguely evident but I chose to ignore them. I didn't know him, so it'd be wrong to see that this wasn't like Leo, but Splinter told me about his sons, more than once.

And he wasn't like this.

He didn't openly cry, he didn't show his emotions this excessively. From a young age he had felt protective, being the oldest of his brothers. Raph often denying that, but still Leo was declared the oldest. He couldn't cry, or at least so he thought. His younger brothers needed someone to rely on. And now he was doing the opposite. He needed someone.

Heck, who was I to judge him?!

I didn't know them, I just met them in person. And I was seriously doubting that they wanted me around here.

I closed my eyes for a second, turning away from the kitchen and slowly walking up to the dojo. The dojo had quickly become one of my favourite places during the few times I had been down here. It was so peaceful. I know it was used for training, and the weapons were evident in the room, and yet I felt at peace. More than ever.

Without hesitation I walked over to the tree, sitting down with my back firmly planted against it. I sigh again, pulling out my phone and immediately calling my dad. The phone beeped for a few seconds before the sound of my dad picking up rang through the phone.

"Hey dad, it's me" I called out.

"Oh hey sweetie. Why are you calling? Is something wrong?" I smile sadly, shaking my head despite knowing he wouldn't be able to see it.

"I don't know" I say quietly, biting my lip to prevent the first tears from falling. "They're just so… affected by everything. Why… would they do s-something to them?" My fingers were now digging into my palm, mentally cursing myself for the quiver in my voice.

"Oh sweetie. We've talked about this"

"I know.. I just hate not being able to help." It reminds me of mom. I silently add, but I know my dad knows the silently added sentence.

"I know you do, but just give them time and be yourself." He replies.

"Yea.. I know.." I whisper. "How's news above ground? They aren't.. bothering you right?" There is a short silence following my question before a sigh is heard from the other side of the line. It was one of the reasons why I decided to stay underground for now, one was to help the guys out of course, but the other was that they now knew about mutants, the humans above I mean.

And they would certainly want to ask questions about them. And they knew we rescued them, that I rescued them. And that my dad rescued them. I just hoped that my assumption wasn't right, and they weren't bothering my dad with endless questions.

"Not as much as expected" He eventually replies. "They keep asking me what has happened to them, how I know them. And they want to talk to the guys themselves. An interview or something. Something both parties agree on, clarification on what they are and so on"

Parties, I thought grimly, opposites from each other. One in favour of the mutants, seeing no reason why they were to be treated differently from humans, one against them. But both demanding answers from the guys. How they've been created, how similar they were to humans and so on.

"The guys won't be able to handle that right now. But… I will talk to Master Splinter. You take care up there 'kay?"

"You too kiddo, love you"

I didn't reply, accepting the void of darkness that fell upon the room, biting back the tears and memories back.

It wasn't fair