HI GUYS! I know it's been a long time since I last posted but my life just got crazy for a fortnight and I'm awfully sorry. I didn't forget you guys! So this chapter is the last ( *Cries* ) but on the flip side I'm beginning to write another story. So not all is doom and gloom! You guys are amazing as always. Thank you for making this such a fun thing to do. You have brought many smiles to my face :) Keep the amazing reading up! ;) Season 2 TMNT is just amazing and giving me so many ideas for new stories so you'll be hearing from me again.

As I have said this whole story is based after Karai's vendetta, this particular chapter pretty much leads the story onto the 'Pulverizer returns' episode and how the guys end up on the rooftop at the start of the episode.

Thank you guys again.

Introducing chapter 13...

Sometimes dreams are better than reality. Sometimes they are the only escape. Sometimes they are the only way to be someone different.

Donatello looked around him, the unfamiliar buildings lining the streets were wet with the lashings of relentless rain, the busy footpath before him was fast beginning to turn into a torrent of water, the strangers around him rushed passed, huddled under their umbrellas, holding on tightly to stop the wind from stealing their shelter. The sky above was a mass of black and grey clouds, highlighted by the distant flashes of lightening. The thunder delayed in its paired timing. He looked to his hands, the same three green fingers encircled by the same worn white bindings. Nothing had changed, he was still a turtle. Yet the humans around him seemed ignorant, almost blind to his obvious presence. He looked at them, they returned his stares with smiles and nods. Acceptance. The torrent of water on the footpath reached his ankles, the cars passing by on the street beside him threw up water around them, shrouding the streets in a eery mist. The current of the water begun to strengthen, Donatello shifted his weight, pressing his feet firmly into the footpath, gaining grip. He watched as a woman dressed in a large, long, black raincoat slipped over, her slim figure was easily dragged along by the ever deepening torrent on the street. She was swept straight into Donatello's waiting arms. He had reached out to help the stranger like it was second nature, lifting her into his arms, out of the water. He watched as two electric blue eyes stared up at him from out of the hooded raincoat, the unmistakable fiery orange hair dripped with the rain. Her cheeks pinked as he watched her, making the freckles stand out. She smiled at him, a small bashful curl of the lips.

"April?" He whispered, raising his brows in surprise, setting her on her feet. Holding onto her hand so she wouldn't be swept away again by the ever deepening current, which now was racing up to reach his knees.

"Your not supposed to be here." April smiled at him, her blue eyes seeming to glow with sudden excitement.

"People don't even notice me April! Isn't it awesome?"

The water began to lap at their waists, pulling them with its current. The sudden flash flood rising with an incredible, almost impossible speed. The cars on the street stopped, the water becoming impassable and inescapable. People rushed to the nearest buildings, wading through the water, letting forgotten bags float down the street into the distance darkness. They broke through locked doors and climbed fire escape ladders in an attempt to escape to the water, their obvious distress echoed by the panicked screams and yells for help.

Donatello and April stood together in beautiful obliviousness to the scene around them, the street lights flickered above them, for a moment they fought with fate, but gave in quickly. Letting the darkness take the flooded street. Donatello tightened his grip on April, his other hand grabbing for hers, pulling her back towards him just as she began to slip, her presence only confirmed through touch now.

"Where are your brothers?"

"I don't know…" He held his breath, looking up to the rooftops around him, patiently searching for the familiar 3 silhouettes who would be revealed by the lightning. As if in an act of rebellion the endless lightening suddenly halted, the rain only louder now as the thunder too, suddenly stopped. Donatello couldn't see anything, he gripped April's hands tighter, he felt the water begin to lap at the middle of his plastron. Donatello was all too aware of the height difference between the two of them he knew she would be in a worse situation right now.

"Donnie?" The voice boomed around him from the clouds above, too loud to come from the April standing in front of him, yet it was her voice.

"April? Whats happening?" He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, as the water reached her chin and lapped at his shoulders. He lifted her up, but it was only a relief for a few seconds as the torrent increased with a sudden force and swept the pair off their feet and into the waiting deep depths.

"Donnie? Leo? Raph? Mikey?" He heard April's voice around him as she called for his brothers, his eyes widened in surprise, how could she be so loud underwater? How could she talk underwater? He felt as she slipped from his grip, like her body had suddenly turned into mercury, he couldn't keep hold of her, the impossible force taking her away. He fought against it, swimming up to try and breach for air, but the water was endless, his lungs burned for air. He knew he was at the floods mercy now. He searched desperately for April, his arms reaching out for her in the darkness.

"Donnie?"

Donatello felt as if gravity had reinforced its presence, he began to fall through the water like he was falling through thin air, heading straight for the hard concrete street which was now far below him. He screamed, air bubbles raced out of his mouth, the sound muffled and distorted. Then he breathed in, choking on the water. He closed his eyes, bracing his body for the inevitable impact.

Donatello sat up in bed, gasping for the air that only a few seconds ago was refused to him, his eyes wide as he felt his body still falling, he watched as the streets below were transforming into interior of his room. He looked around in panic, his heart hammering against his chest, he struggled to get enough air into his body.

"Go away!"

Donatello snapped his head around, spying April cowering at his doorway, facing away from him, staring at something in the lab. She raised her hands over her face to protect herself. To protect herself from what? Donatello caught his breath, the thought taking over his mind as he rose out of his bed, preparing to approach whoever or whatever was beyond the doorway. His footsteps silent and deliberately placed so he would stay in the shadows, hidden from the intruder.

He froze in place as April turned to face him, her eyes wide, her pupils so large and so black they only left a thin line of the her blue irises showing. He furrowed his brows, she looked as if she was staring into another world. He approached her carefully, sheepishly waving a hand in front of her face. Her eyes didn't follow the movement, she stared straight at him but did not acknowledge his presence.

"I will not let you break me" she whispered suddenly, making Donatello shiver, he watched as she rose to her feet. She turned around and walked out into the lab. Her pace slow, her expression a hard look of concentration.

"April?" Donatello followed her, reaching out to grab her hand, pulling her around to face him. She blinked at him, her body beginning to tense. Her head tilted to one side.

"Stay still." Leonardo flashed to Donatello's side, his hand prying back Donatello's firm grip on April's hand.

Leonardo watched as April's face remained unchanged, her shoulders begging to sink back down as she relaxed from the sudden movements. She turned back around abruptly and continued to walk out of the lab, her path leading her on a crash course to the pit.

Donatello looked to Leonardo, a questioning brow raised. Leonardo shook his head at him, thinking back, searching for clues.

He had heard a loud crash come from the pit only minutes prior, the noise interrupting his meditation. Begrudgingly he went to investigate, only to discover a bewildered looking April stumbling up the stairs of the pit, the light from Donatello's lab illuminating her figure. She crawled into Donatello's Lab, disappearing beyond the doorway. He looked to her bed on the bench, the blankets on the floor, pillows followed her trail up the stairs and her cardboard splint Donatello had insisted she wear for only one more week, was ripped up on one of the steps.

Leonardo automatically assumed the worst, not trusting April's unusual behavior. He followed her silently into the lab, being careful not to be seen or heard by her. He had stood in the shadows cast by one of the many cabinets that lined the labs walls when she had reached Donatello's bedroom doorway, she sat down at the entrance, staring into the darkness. Her voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Your not supposed to be here" she said mindlessly.

Leonardo gasped, he was sure she had not known he followed her.

"Where are your brothers?"

Leonardo stepped forward out of the shadows, approaching her.

"I don't know…" He heard Donatello's voice suddenly answer.

"Donnie!" April yelled into Donatello's room. Leonardo watched in confusion as she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, revealing her badly bruised broken arm, she didn't even flinch with the movement. Leonardo backed away carefully, disappearing back into the shadows.

"Donnie? Leo? Raph? Mikey?" April yelled for the brothers. Leonardo furrowed his brows, his mind spinning with confusion. What is going on?

"Donnie?" April whispered, her tone defeated as her yells went unanswered.

Leonard shivered, his eyes narrowed as she suddenly turned around to face him.

"Go away!" She stared straight at him. Impossible, she can't see me. He caught a glimpse of her eyes, her pupils unnaturally large, then her hands came up over her face as she cowered from something or was it from him?

Leonardo blinked, bringing himself back to reality, looking up to Donatello's concerned face. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. The pair froze as a scream cut through the silence of the night. They raced out of Donatello's lab and straight into the pit, coming to a halt as the drama unfolded right before their eyes.

Michelangelo grabbed April by each wrist as she attempted to hit him, he held her hands up easily over her head, she stared at his plastron. Michelangelo turned his head slightly to look at his brothers, his eyes wide with fright. He held Aprils wrists firmly, keeping her still.

Leonardo grimaced, approaching the pair. "Mikey…"

Michelangelo winced, the accusation hitting him at the core. "I didn't do anything Leo! She just flipped when I asked her what she was doing up! Maybe that gave her a fright but I think she's sort of overreacting!"

Michelangelo shot Leonardo an angry glance, returning his gaze to April, he looked at her eyes, the large black pupils stared into his plastron, she had stopped fighting and felt limp against his grip. He let her wrists go gently and she wobbled with her new found freedom, falling to the ground in a sitting position. Her hands searching mindlessly on the floor until Michelangelo figured out what she was looking for, he leaned down and picked up one of the many pillows strewn across the pits floor and handed it cautiously to her, she snatched it immediately, hugging it to her chest before finally lying down on the floor. Her eyes closing slowly.

Leonardo looked to Donatello up the steps, their mouths both hanging open. Leonardo mouthed 'what just happened?' to Donatello.

Donatello sat against the frame of his doorway, looking out over the pit. The darkness hid the pit's inhabitant, but Donatello didn't need to see to know who was there or to know what was happening.

April's nightmares had started again, she haunted the lair with her screams and only recently, had begun to sleep walk. It had been a week since she was pulled to safety from the Karai's trap, she had barely made it out. The bruises and broken bones may have begun healing and will eventually complete that journey. They will not leave a trace of their existence, but the memories will remain, fresh and raw in her dreams and ever present in the back of her mind when she is awake. Time is a great healer, but how long will it take to begin to heal from something that everyone is still struggling to believe even happened? Their eyes had witnessed it, but their hearts deny it.

Donatello closed his eyes, carefully listening as he heard April struggle with the blankets on top of her, her grunts of frustration signaled the beginning of another long anxious night for the worried turtle. His head snapped up to attention when he heard something hit the floor, he was on his feet in seconds, switching the lairs lights on before leaping down into the pit, the lights flickered on with a delayed hesitation. Revealing Leonardo carefully helping a half asleep April to her feet, hauling her up from under her arms off the floor. Donatello stopped mid-step, a grin on his face, he thought he was alone tonight to keep an eye on April but his brothers were always ever watchful, the shared worry for April diminishing any chance of a restful sleep for them all.

"You okay April?" Leonardo whispered.

"You know, I haven't fallen off my bed since I was a toddler Leo." April giggled, her voice awash with slurred drowsiness. "I think I'll be okay."

Leonardo let her go and she stumbled back into bed, lying amongst the pillows, she spied Donatello who stood at a distance, he caught her gaze and smiled comfortingly at her, approaching her. "So where were you headed off to tonight?"

April yawned as he sat down beside her, she rubbed her eyes. "Where ever the flood was going to take me" she answered mindlessly.

Donatello gasped, his eyes widening. Flood? Where ever the FLOOD was going to take me? Coincidence Donnie? No. It can't be. He shook his head wildly, shaking off the thoughts. Opening his eyes he looked back down to April, she was fast asleep, her soft breaths the only sounds to be heard. He looked to Leonardo who stood with his arms crossed.

"We need to go to topside Donnie, we need to get her dad back. We can't fix this." Leonardo gestured to April, his tone so serious and cold, not inviting any room for argument.

Donatello felt his heart sink, Leonardo's words echoed in his mind. He had tried to wake April from her sleepwalking every night since this had started, to prove that he could fix this, that there was a way. She would always be heading for one of the brothers rooms each night, never entering but instead sitting patiently at their doorways, waiting for something. After a while she would lose interest and begin to walk around the lair, stumbling over things that would be obvious to anyone else to avoid. Donatello would follow her, sometimes with the company of one of his brothers. He would try to bring her out of her sleepwalk, bring her back to reality, but each time he got the same result, a screaming fighting April who was so deeply in a different state of mind she didn't realize who she was attacking until the following morning. Only then, to her shock and horror, the previous nights events were explained to her. But tonight was different, she had fallen onto the floor and that movement, the impact, had woken her without delay. Maybe that was the solution, the way to wake her up, to let her fall. Donatello knew he wouldn't have a chance to put his word in against Leonardo's right now. He watched as Leonardo walked off towards his room, leaving the pair in silence.

Donatello sighed loudly. He leaned back to gently rest his head against April's abdomen, he closed his eyes for only a second, not with the intention to sleep, but sleep took him anyway, a dreamless deep sleep that he had been longing for.

April watched the dark sky above her in fascination as the lightening flashed around her, the bolts bringing a split second of bliss blindness to her curious gaze. She looked around her, standing on the footpath of a street she had no memory or recollection of. The tall buildings lined the streets, the orange reflection of the street lights danced in the large puddles on the road, cars raced past, the wheels breaking the dance up and sending the puddles airborne and on a crash course with April, she felt the ice cold water hit her raincoat, protecting her body warmth. Wait, raincoat? She looked down at herself, the long black raincoat was obviously too big for her but protected her from the heavy rain, she looked up, spying the buildings for shelter, she began to walk down the street, hearing her shoes splash in water, she looked down to the footpath, a steady stream of water was rushing over her shoes, soaking through them. She shrugged, thinking about old dated storm drains not being able to handle the sudden intake of storm water. A small knot of anxiety wove in her gut as she watched the water rise before her eyes, almost reaching her ankles. Impossible. There can't be storms like this in the city. A unnaturally loud boom of thunder shook everything around her, even her bones seemed to rattle inside her, she shivered, the rain now poured down, the storm seemed to contradict her thoughts. She started to search desperately for shelter, running through the torrent, in her haste she slipped over. Her body only touching the ground for a second before being lifted up and carried down the street by the water, she gasped, its speed and strength unbelievable and she tried to reach out for anything to stop herself. She felt a large, strong hand wrap around hers in a instant, it's warmth and feel so familiar to April. She felt herself being lifted up, her hand released as the strangers hand moved to hold her steady by the waist, another hand coming under her knees. She looked up to her rescuers face, part of her already knowing who it would be. Donatello looked down to her in shock, his surprise made her feel a warm blush spread on her wet cheeks. Her heart missed a beat as she realized where they both were, in the middle of the street, surrounded by people, surrounded by danger.

"April?" Donatello whispered.

Donatello placed her back onto her feet, the water easily coming up over her knees, she shivered with the harsh coldness. She felt Donatello grab each of her hands, holding them tightly. She looked back up to him.

"Your not supposed to be here." She smiled at him, she couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit of excitement, no one had obviously noticed him yet. Yet.

"People don't even notice me April. Isn't it awesome!"

She watched a grin spread across Donatello's face . The screams and yells from the people around her hardly registering in her brain as she looked around for Donatello's brothers, the water beginning to lap at her waist, pulling at her, abandoned cars began to surrender to the current, floating down the street. The street lights flickered before finally going out completely, Donatello's face disappearing from her sight. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse, but April didn't care, she knew she was safe.

"Where are your brothers?"

"I don't know…" Donatello trailed off.

"Donnie?" the voice boomed from the storm above, April gasped, it was her voice. But she hadn't spoken. She felt Donatello wrap his arms around her waist, their warmth fighting off the cold of the water, he pulled her closer. She felt the water racing to meet her chin, Donatello must have sensed her concern because he lifted her up, her feet leaving the ground, her head now above the torrent. She knew deep down it would only be a short relief.

"April? Whats happening?" The worry in his voice was unmistakable. She gasped as the water suddenly rushed at them with a sudden force, the pair were swept away, being dragged below the surface of the dark flood water.

"Donnie? Leo? Raph? Mikey?" Her voice boomed around the pair, yet April's lips didn't move. She felt her heart begin to race, her body convulsed with the currents changes in direction, like being in a washing machine. She felt the two strong hands around her waist begin to slip, the water proving to be too strong. In a desperate moment April reached for Donatello's arms, but it was too late, the hands that held her safe slipped away and April was swept away at such a speed she had no hope of fighting against it. Her lungs burned for air. She tried to swim up, but the current held her down.

"Donnie?" the voice came again. April screamed underwater, the sound muffled as she watched the last of her air bubble up to the surface, she snapped her mouth shut, realizing her mistake. What was happening! She kicked her legs and swum furiously to the surface, breaking through the currents force and feeling her head break the surface, bringing with it fresh air. She breathed it in gladly, filling her lungs to capacity. She treaded the water, the flood taking her further into the unknown. April looked around for an escape, the flash of lightening lit up the multi story buildings on either side of her, she swam across to them, waiting for the next flash of lightening to reveal her escape route. It came immediately, as if on cue and she spotted a fire escape ladder on the side of a building, she swum furiously against the current toward it, reaching out for it, feeling the cold hard metal against her frozen fingers. She grabbed onto it immediately, holding it tightly, pulling her body up against the ladder and climbing out of the water. She climbed 5 rungs until she reached what she assumed to be the roof of the building. She took a shaky last step off the ladder and collapsed on the wet concrete, the cold seeped into her immediately, she shivered violently, her teeth chattering together.

A sickening laugh erupted around her. April whimpered, how could she forget Karai's voice. April clenched her teeth, covering her face with her hands, protecting herself from whatever was about to come.

"Go away!" she yelled into the darkness. The laughing continued, mocking her.

"I will not let you break me!" April yelled again, furious, she stood up and paced in small circle, trying to create body heat.

April felt the ground beneath her shake violently, the concrete under her feet, starting to crack. She screamed as the cracks widened, letting her easily fall into them, she fell into the endless darkness below her, screaming and waving her arms around, trying to grab onto anything to stop this fate.

April sat up abruptly, her scream suddenly caught in her throat as she felt her body steady itself, the feeling of falling fading, reality returning to April's mind. She blinked, the warm tears rolled down her cheeks. Looking around she saw other rooftops in the distance, the starlit sky shrouded by smoke and the bright lights of the city. The cold from the concrete below her seeped through her denim shorts. She realized she was sitting on a rooftop somewhere. How did I get here? What happened?

Donatello woke up in comfort, the pillows around him keeping him warm and relaxed. He stretched his arms out, yawning loudly. He turned his head and opened his eyes, expecting to see April lying right beside him. But she was gone. The lairs lights shone down onto the empty space bringing the hard reality of the situation to life. Donatello gasped, racing off the bench to his feet, he searched the pit desperately.

"April?" He yelled. Stopping in his tracks he slapped his forehead. She's probably in the bathroom or having something to eat! He regained his composure and calmly made his way into the kitchen, it was empty. He felt his heart sink, he ran back into the pit, now heading for the bathroom. No, no, no, no… The bathroom door was slightly open, he knocked on it sheepishly. Silence. He pushed it open slightly, peering through, the room was empty. NO, NO, NO!

"April!" Donatello yelled again, turning back around and searching the pit for any clue to her whereabouts.

"Donnie, calm down!"

Donatello turned around, spying an irritated looking Raphael standing at the entrance to the Lair, leaning against one of the turnstiles.

"April's gone!" Donatello whimpered.

"I know."

Donatello narrowed his eyes at Raphael. "How do you know… Where is she?"

"Theres a pillow out here and another further down the tracks." Raphael gestured to the platform out of the lair.

"So she's gone-"

"-topside? Yeah, I think so."

Donatello nodded at his brother and then he raced into the lab, retrieving his Bo staff. He heard Raphael yelling at Michelangelo to wake up. He turned around, running back out of the lab and towards the lair's platform, leaping over the turnstiles. Leonardo leaned against the door of the Shell Raiser in front of him. He stopped in his tracks, Donatello couldn't hide the worry he knew was written all over his face. Leonardo picked up on it easily.

"We'll get her back Donnie."

Donatello quickly nodded and walked into the Shell Raiser, beginning to shake with the stress. He sat down at his station, turning on his computer and watching the screen come to life. Please have your T-phone April, he silently begged. Biting into his lower lip as he clicked on the tracking app, and selected Aprils phone icon, the map formed in front of him, a yellow dot flashed in the middle of a small blank square. She's in a building. Oh no… Alright, clam down Donnie, don't think the worst.

"Is that April?" The voice interrupted Donatello's thoughts. Michelangelo's finger pointed to the yellow flashing dot on the screen.

"Yeah Mikey, thats her." Donatello answered numbly. He reached for his T-phone, dialing April's number immediately, not before a strong hand came over the T-phone and stopped the call. Donatello looked up to Leonardo's hard gaze.

"It could wake her Donnie."

Donatello nodded, setting his lips in a tight line. Leonardo left him and sat down in the drivers seat, turning on the Shell Raiser and setting off down the tracks.

Raphael spied April's figure a rooftop away, he felt his brothers crowd around him. They hid in the shadows of a rooftop water tank. After parking the shell raiser a safe distance away they had made their way up to a rooftop and had spotted foot ninjas on an adjacent building, they raced into the shadows immediately and watched the Foot ninja's creep up to April, slowly but surely surrounding her. They however had failed to notice the four turtles posed to attack them. Raphael smiled, his grip tightening on his twin Sai's. He kneeled down, ready to leap out at any second.

A daring Foot ninja suddenly leaped out of his hiding place, landing neatly and silently right behind April, Raphael spotted the glint of the knifes blade in the moonlight. That was it, there was no stopping him and no time to waste. He leapt out, running at such a speed with his brothers following close behind, making the jump to the next building with ease, breaking into a sprint as soon as he landed. Raphael watched with an impressed grin as April turned around to face the Foot ninja behind her and with a quick movement she pulled her attackers ankles together and using her bodies weight to tackle the ninja to the ground.

"Go April!" Michelangelo yelled from behind.

Raphael chuckled and came over the April's attacker and with all the force he could muster he hit the ninja's head with the handle of his Sai, knocking him out immediately. Raphael looked to April, she grinned at him. He held his hand out to her and she took it gladly, letting him pull her to her feet. The Foot ninja's emerged from the shadows around them, leaping from rooftops, weapons in hand, coming at them in a joint attack. Out for revenge. Raphael grinned.

"Donnie, come over here and get your girlfriend."

Donatello was at April's side in an instant, blushing furiously, he stared hard at Raphael who jumped up to meet the first of the Foot who had made it onto the rooftop.

"She's not my girl-"

"Donnie! Get her to the Shell Raiser, NOW!" Leonardo snapped at him, his katana slicing through the black fabric on a Foot ninja's abdomen, blood glistened on the Katana's sharp blade.

"Oh yeah, right." Donatello snapped back to attention, lifting April up onto his shell, she wrapped her arms around his neck immediatly. Donatello held her legs tightly and raced to the roofs edge, jumping across with ease. His gut told him he was being followed. He looked back and caught a glimpse of Michelangelo fighting off the pursuing Foot ninja, he breathed a sigh of relief. He reached the edge of the next rooftop and heard April gasp behind him, she knew what he was about to do and it only made him grin.

"Hold on!"

Donatello jumped down onto a fire escape platform below, then swung himself onto the ladder, letting Aprils legs hang lose at his sides, he looked down below him and then leaped down, it was a long fall to the streets below. His feet suddenly hit the Shell Raisers roof, he felt shivers race up his spine from the impact but that didn't effect the wide grin on his face. He looked back over his shoulder, April's face peered up from the back of his neck to look at him. She took one look at his face and then broke into uncontrollable fits of giggles.

Donatello shook with laughter before kneeling down to let April down. He jumped down onto the ground and held his arms out expectantly. A second later April jumped off the roof and landed in them. He released her hesitantly and then reached out to open the doors of the Shell Raiser. She stepped up into the vehicle, turning around to face Donatello.

"I'm sorry." April looked down to the ground, shifting her feet uncomfortably.

"For what April?" Donatello laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

"The sleep walking, I didn't think it would get this bad. Will Master Splinter..." April looked back up to Donatello, eyeing his small smile.

"Don't be sorry. Under the circumstances I think Sensei will be accommodating April." Donatello paused, tapping a finger against his chin, "I know I can fix the sleepwalking." He winked at her and then leaned back out of the doorway, reaching back to unsheathe his Bo staff.

"If anyone can fix it, it's you Donnie." April felt the blush on her cheeks and she turned around quickly, hiding from his gaze.

Donatello shook his head, Did she just...? No, trick of the light no doubt. He shut the Shell Raisers door, making sure it was firmly locked before racing back up the building towards his brothers.