Chapter 25

" Mom, you can let go now." I told her. She had pulled me into a death defying hug. She squeezed so hard I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out of my head.

" Right. Sorry." My mom apologized. She sounded so much older then when I last saw her. She looked older too. But it hasn't been that long. She must just be tired.

We were still standing outside, that until she invited me in. When I walked into my house, I expected the warm comforting sent of home would filled my nose. But something was different. It didn't smell so warm and comforting. It just felt like any other house. I just stood there, until my dad pulled me into a hug.

When he let go, he insisted I take a seat on the couch. I was about to sit down on the sofa but then my brothers came rushing down the stairs. They hugged me. I was a little shocked. I didn't think my brothers would miss me this much. We fight all the time so why would they? But then again I guess in the end we are family.

I finally got the chance to sit. I sat on the sofa. My brothers took the seats directly in front on the couch and my parents stood behind them. They all stared at me anxiously.

" What?" I asked them.

" Where are you've been?"

" Are you okay?"

" Why did you run away?"

" Will you stay now?"

They all started asking me questions. I couldn't tell who was talking.

I didn't know who to answer first. I was getting a bit overwhelmed. I guess my mom noticed because she stopped all the question asking.

" Look at you! Your as thin as a twig, you must be hungry."

" No Mom, really, I'm fine." I tried to explain to her but she rushed to the kitchen and was fixing me a snack.

" So, what do you guys want to know?" I asked the remaining family members.

" Everything." They all replied simultaneously.

" Umm, okay. I'm living with a group of friends. Well technically their all brothers. So I'm living with them and their father. There are four of them. Umm, let's see what else.." I didn't want to tell my family that they were giant turtles and a rat or that they're ninja's, " They treat me really well and I feel very welcomed."

" Could you tell us why you ran away." My father interrupted me.

" Well, I was just really angry. I fell that they love me more then you guys do. So I left. And no I'm not staying. I just wanted to see you guys. I was feeling homesick." I explained sternly to them.

My mom returned from the kitchen with apple slices, cheese and crackers.

" Thanks Mom." I thanked her and began eating. I looked up from my plate. My mom began to cry.

" So, what are your friends names?" My dad asked.

I hesitated to answer. I was wondering if I should tell them. I opened my mouth but I got cut off by my beeping watch. Donnie had set a timer on my watch to when I should come back home, to my sewer home. I couldn't believe that it had already been 20 minutes. The turtles and I had figured that 20 minutes should be enough time to explain all the basics but with all the hugging. It took longer then I expected.

" I gave to go." I told them as I got up and set my plate on the coffee table.

" What, already?" My mom asked.

" Yeah...I need to get back to my other family. My new family." I felt awkward saying this in front of my family, but I had to make myself clear with them.

I headed towards the door but my brothers voice made me stop.

" So that's it then?" Mark exclaimed, " Your just gonna forget about us and go back to your new 'better then us' family."

" Mark!" My parents yelled at him.

I let out a sigh, " Look, I love you guys, I really do. But I just have to go back to them. Their my family now."

" So your leaving us forever?" Conner's high pitched six year old voice spoke. By this time my whole family was standing by the door with me.

I knelt down to his level and explained to him," No, I'll be back for more visits. I promise." I got up and stared at my parents, " That's if it's okay with you guys."

Both my parents nodded their heads. I smiled at them and opened the door.

" Bye. See you soon." I stated and I walked out. I shut the door behind me and ran across the street. I climbed up the building were the turtles said that they would be. When I got up I seen the turtles standing there, waiting for me.

Raph was cross armed, Donnie just had his arms straight down and Leo stood cross armed as well.

" So how did it go?" Donnie was the first one to speak.

" Despite the 10 minutes of hugging, pretty good." I told them.

" Well do you feel better now?" Raph asked in a very sarcastic way. He really didn't care if I felt better or not. He was just making fun of me. But I decided to play along...

" Yeah I do. Thanks for asking Raph." I teased as I ran pass Raph, giving a small but forceful slap on the arm. I started to run back home.

It didn't take long for the turtles to follow me. They quickly caught up and we all started running home on the rooftops together.

" Your back!" Mikey shouted when we entered the lair. He jumped out of his seat and fell on the floor.

" Mikey! Your not suppose to put any weight on your ankle!" Donnie yelled and ran over to help Mikey up.

" Yeah okay sure. But how was it? Was her house cool? What did it look like? What colour was it? Did you go in?" Mikey's questions were one after another. Leaving no time for any of us to answer.

Leo, Raph and Donnie all sighed but I laugh. Mikey was so cute.

" It went finem, no her house was not cool it looked like any other house you see, her house is white and no we did not go in." Raph answered all of Mikey's questions in one long frustrated sentence, Raph walked away.

" Where do you think your going?" Leo questioned rather angrily.

" To my room!" Raph pointed both hands towards his room and then continued walking.

Leo sighed," I'm off too." And headed for his room as well. He went in the same direction as Raph.

" Well I guess we're all going to bed early then?" Mikey half asked half stated. He sounded disappointed, he clearly wanted to know more about the trip to my house.

" I'll tell ya about it in the morning." I offered to Mikey. Trying to cheer him up.

" Okay!" Mikey perked right up. He grabbed his crutches from off the floor and headed towards his room.

" Where you going Mikey?" I asked.

" To my room. Then sooner I go to sleep, the sooner morning will come."

" Technically, no matter what time you go to bed it will always take the same amount of-" Donnie began but stopped because Mikey was already gone. Leaving Donnie and I were alone in the living room.

" So, do you want to go to bed too?" I wondered.

" Yeah I guess, there's nothing else to do."

" Wait! Stay here!" I told Donnie and I ran towards his lab.

When I came back, I'm came back with Donnie's medical box. Or as Mikey likes to call it, Donnie's boo-boo box.

" What are you-" Donnie began but I shushed him before he could finish.

" Lay down." I instructed him

" Where?"

" On the couch dummy."

" Wow, that's the first time someone ever called me that." Donnie teased and layed down on the couch.

I opened the box and got out the roll of bandages.

" I'm gonna change your bandages." I told him if wasn't already obvious.

" Really? Right now? Couldn't it wait till tomorrow?"

" No it can not wait. But you can. Wait here, I'm gonna go get a wet cloth."

I ran to the kitchen and got out a clean dish cloth. I wet the cloth and ran back to Donnie. I found him sitting up on the couch re-organizing his medical box.

" Lay back down." I said sternly yet playful at the same time.

" Okay okay." Donnie moaned and layed back down.

I began to unwrap his two day old blood covered bandages. It was a bit sticky to get off, since the blood had dried.

" Sorry if this hurts." I apologized in advance.

When I did get bandages off. The half of the cut that was on his forehead was covered in dried blood and around it was all red. The lower half of the cut, that was on his cheek, looked the same. I took the wet cloth and I began to dab it gently on his cut. Donnie flinched a few times and each time that he did I apologized.

" There, all clean." I told him. A bit satisfied with myself that I was able to get through that, " Now time to wrap it up. Your gonna have to help me with this. I didn't do the greatest job last time."

" You did fine last time." Donnie informed me. But he didn't have me convinced.

" Don't make me laugh." I told him, letting out a little puff, " Alright, now I need you to sit up."

" Okay." Donnie agreed and sat up.

I began to wrap his head up. I went three times around and then taped it up. Then I took a piece of bandage and taped it onto his cheek like last time. And this whole time Donnie was telling me what to do.

" There, finished." I announced, " Now we can go to bed."

Without saying a word. Donnie got up off the couch and we started walking towards our rooms. Mine, Donnie's and Mikey's room was on the opposite side of the lair then Raph's and Leo's. For Splinter's room, you have to go through the training room to get there.

We got to my room first. I turned around to face Donnie. Before we said goodnight. I had one thing to ask him.

" Hey Donnie?"

" Yeah?"

" Why was Raph so upset that I was going to see my parents? I mean once I said I wasn't leaving everyone else started to calm down. But Raph was still all fired up."

" Well that's because Raph tends to hold on to things longer then the rest of us. And if he doesn't like something he'll let you know. Plus, Raph cares about you. We all do." Donnie finished explaining.

I smiled at him, "Goodnight."

" Goodnight." He whispered back to me and started heading for his room. I was about to enter mine but I remembered something else I wanted to asked Donnie.

" Hey Donnie!" I called out to him. He turned around.

" What?"

" Got any plans for tomorrow?" I asked.

Donnie and I have this special connection with each other. We always know what the other person is going to say and we always know how each other is feeling. We never forced this to happen, it just did happen.

But anyway, using our special connection, Donnie new exactly what I meant.

" It's a date." He responded while smiling.

I smiled back at him then entered my room. I felt all warm inside. I didn't feel homesick anymore. I felt happy. All my troubles go away when I'm with Donnie, I forget any problem I have in my life when I'm with him. Donnie is the one who can make me happy. And with those thoughts in my head, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

Sorry for the late-ish update...again! My stupid dialogue keeps disappearing on me and I have to re-type it. If anyone knows how to fix this problem please tell me! Anyway, besides all of that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it'd mean a lot to me if you will review! Thanks! :)