Thank you Cyn! You know I love you! Thank you Machi for your encouragement. And thanks for the reviews. I'm still here never fear!

Raphael studied one of the outer perimeter alarms. He knew that Don had it set up as a motion sensor. If anyone came within several feet of one, an alarm would sound in the dojo alerting them to possible danger. Raph frowned a bit at that. He was more of an action guy. Knowing someone around was all well and good, but, if someone were coming near the lair, he would prefer to do something about it. Quickly. At the very least, give he and his family more of a head start in preparing their defense.

Of course, it had to be subtle. Something that would look naturally occurring. Even if he could rig up some kind of thing that would blast twenty shuriken from the wall when someone stepped too close, that could get messy. Between the rats he would kill and more than likely Mike would forget where to step. Raphael didn't want to be the one to explain to Splinter that his youngest son had been made into swiss cheese from his alarm system. Having a brother with multiple stab wounds would be bad enough. Having to tell Splinter it was his fault…would be much worse.

The turtle sighed and glanced up and around at the tunnel. There had to be something. Even if it gave them only a few seconds to prepare for an incoming assault. He tapped his chin in thought and nodded to himself. It was simplistic…and certainly easy enough to do. He'd have to be subtle about it. He'd need some of Don's supplies. And a few buckets.

Donatello escaped the sewers and made his way into an alley. The shadows kept him hidden well enough that no one would see him unless they were to look real hard. And Don wouldn't give them that chance. Besides, there were very few people actually out and about right now. It was so cold, that the city that never sleeps, was staying bundled up inside. He made his way up the fire escape in the back alley and to the window of April's apartment.

Usually he was with one or more of his brothers on a visit to April's. Mike and Raph had no qualms about barging in, invited or not. He pulled the collar of his coat up and shivered a little.

He started to peek in the window, but pulled back blushing a bit. What if she was changing? What if she was like…doing housework with no clothes on? Didn't people do that? Wouldn't he be a peeping tom if he were to peek in on something like that?

What if she had a male visitor?

Don paled slightly at the thought of spying on something like THAT. He wasn't interested in watching his best friend engage in sexual calisthenics. Not that he'd be interested in watching ANYONE do that sort of thing. He wasn't a pervert and those websites on his computer were purely for research. And another thing….

"Don?"

Don's arguing was interrupted by a female voice just to his right side. He staggered in surprise and caught himself before falling. "Uhhhh April. Hi. Um…nice weather huh?"

April looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Don glanced around at the alleyway. "Just hanging around. Can I come in for a little while? Maybe help with that software program you've been working on?"

Her smile warmed him and almost made him forget about the craziness at home. "You're always welcome, Donnie. Is something wrong?"

Donatello sighed not sure how to answer that. He didn't want to tell her that they had driven Splinter crazy with their fighting. That wouldn't help him come across as the mature, responsible young man he wanted her to believe he was. "Nothing is wrong per say. I just needed some air. Cold…freezing air."

"Come in Donnie. Casey and I were just watching a movie…."

Don tried not to let his disappointment show. "Casey's here?" It's not that he didn't like Casey. But…

The notorious vigilante stuck his head out the window. "Hey Don. Raph said you'd be by, but I thought it would be later tonight."

"Raph said…I would be…?" Don blinked at Casey in confusion. "When did you talk to Raph? And how did he know I was coming here?" As far as he knew, Raphael had left before he did to check the security systems. His brother didn't even know that Don had gone anywhere.

"Last night," Casey replied after thinking for a second. "Said something about you were gonna go crazy enough today to want to go out bustin up bad guys with me. I wasn't planning on goin' out till later tonight though."

Donatello's eyes squinted a little as he tried to figure that out this latest piece of information. "Why was I going to go crazy?"

Casey shrugged. "Somethin' about you doing all his chores for him cuz he made a deal with Splinter."

"He did, did he?" Don's eyes narrowed. Why was he feeling the butt of a big joke? He just wasn't sure if he should thank Raph…or Splinter.

No one spoke for a few moments, until April broke the uneasy silence. "So, come in Don. It's freezing out here."

Don shook his head. "No thanks, April. I just remembered….I have something to do."

Raphael balanced skillfully on the pipe above his modified security system. He didn't change anything that Don had. He just improved on the design. It was so simplistic. But so completely genius in its simplicity. The motion sensors would still sound the alarm in the lair to announce anyone nearby. But Raphael's modifications would give them an extra few seconds to prepare…it may even turn the intruder away altogether.

Just thinking about his new improvements gave Raph a sense of pride. He could bet Donatello had never thought of something so…ingenious. He put some finishing touches on his contraption and jumped down from the piping just in time to hear someone sloshing through the sewers.

He ducked back into the shadows…and waited.

Donatello muttered to himself. He wasn't really paying attention to anything. He was pretty angry. He was angry at Raphael. He was angry with Mike. And he was angry with Splinter for doing this whole thing in the first place. When he thought of what he could be doing today, all the wasted time, he became even more angry.

He took the tunnel where he figured Raphael would be working on the security system. He could only imagine all the stuff he would have to fix once Raphael got done.

The last thing Raph tried to fix was Mike's Slinky when they were ten. After ten frustrating minutes, he ended up just wrapping it around Mike and attaching him to the bedpost. The Slinky never slunked again. Then there was the Rubix Cube when they were seven. Don made a face remembering how that ended.

He slowed down coming to the section of tunnel where his motions sensors were. He glanced around for a moment. No sign of Raphael. Maybe he gave up and went home.

Don knelt down beside one of his carefully hidden sensors and frowned. There was something wrapped around it. What the hell did Raph do now? Don shook his head and shut down the sensor. He didn't need the alarms going off in the lair.

He picked up the sensor trying to unwind the cord that was wrapped around it. "What the hell?"

"No DON!"

Donatello looked up at Raphael's shout right before he was covered in something cold, wet and terrible smelling. A bucket full of raw sewage emptied on his head from above. The stench was overpowering even for someone raised in the sewers. He dropped the sensor and gagged. "DAMMIT!"

Don rubbed at his eyes barely able to make out the form of his brother coming toward him. He COULD however, make out the smirk on his face.

"Thanks for testin the security system Donnie. By the way, you got shit on yer head."