A/N- Hi Guys! So this is the start of Lessons of Time, Part 2! This chapter is basically a summary of 'Back to the Sewer', but in my timeline ;) The next following chapters are set after the season, maybe after Turtles Forever? (I really like the film, but I'm not sure how to incorporate it into my version), and they'll be a little more Leo/Venus-centric.

Anyway, enjoy! :)

Interlude - Returning Home

Being zapped into the future was trouble enough, but it couldn't compare with the chaos of returning home. Leonardo had never felt so helpless: not only did he have to rely on Donatello to track down their father, but he could see what the pressure was doing to his brother, and understood it only too well. But what could he do? Leo knew that comforting his brother wouldn't solve matters, so he kept his thoughts to himself, doing as he was bidden in the virtual universe, again relying on his brother's knowledge to guide the team through it. For almost six months he was running blind.

Venus could see what this was doing to Leonardo. He was barley sleeping, constant nightmares flooding what little shut-eye he could grab. His worry for Donatello and his father, and the pressure of acting as clan-head in the absence of the latter, were combining together in a toxic mix of fear and anxiety. Venus did what she could to comfort him but he was inconsolable. So instead she took to keeping an eye on Mikey, distracting him at the right times. She was glad Mona was around to do the same for Raph.

The hot-headed turtle never told his family what happened with her the night they returned home. He'd sprinted out of the lair almost immediately, coming home not long after with a red, sore looking cheek and a look of pure misery. But the next day Mona was in the lair, constantly by Raph's side whenever Donatello was speaking. When he explained the concept of the virtual world and the challenge they faced, Venus realised they really were heading off into the unknown:

"April is going to help us out here by manning the computers, but ultimately it's up to us to be responsible. Do not put yourselves in unnecessary danger. If your data-self gets injured or destroyed, I'm not sure what happens to your physical or mental form." He gave each of his brothers a long before turning towards Mona. "Mona, do you mind helping to hold the fort? Maybe be on standby with first aid, or coffee for April?"

Mona had nodded while Venus stood up to join the guys. She didn't like Donatello's sudden look.

"You aren't leaving me behind."

"Venus, believe me, I want you there. But I just don't know what effect your shinobi skills will have on the system. Even if you rely on your physical skills, I don't want you to react to something instinctively and then damage the reality we're in, potentially stopping us from getting back."

She didn't argue. She didn't want to add any more stress to the situation, but the thought of them going into an unknown danger without her spiked fear in her chest. She simply nodded, hugging them all.

"You had better come back," she stated, her voice catching in her throat.

"Yes Ma'am," Mikey replied, saluting her with Raphael. Donatello ignored her. Leonardo nodded. Then they disappeared.

Things went like this for months. April would come over in the mornings while Casey was at work, the guys would go searching, and then in the evenings Donatello would put all his research and data together while the others went on patrol. Soon, when he trusted his brothers alone there, Donatello would man the computer for night visits into the virtual world, giving April a break. Sometimes these searches would take hours, and Venus would just sit in the living room, poised for any trouble. The first few times were a little awkward given her and Mona's being thrown together, so the former would pace.

"You'll wear the floor down if you keep that up," Mona commented once, making Venus pause.

"It's not as though I've got anything else to do. I hate not being able to do anything."

"Well pacing ain't exactly productive."

Venus rolled her eyes before sitting down.

"I know what you mean though. The whole helplessness thing. I know me and Raph haven't known each other for as long as you guys, and I ain't that close to the family, but I hate seeing them like this, you know? But what can I do?"

"Comfort Raphael."

Mona looked at her and nodded. "Yeah. And I do. Every night I give him my shoulder, wrap my arms and tail round him, and make like a big cocoon. I don't want anythin' to hurt him. It don't matter that he's a hench-ass giant turtle. He's a nice guy whose dad is missing and has got three other bros going crazy about it too. Well, two of them." She gave Venus a straight gaze. "I can't tell you how glad I am that Raphael isn't the leader of this crazy gang. I know he's strong, but the pressure to look for his father and keep an eye on his brothers? I think it would destroy him. Your Leo's strong in a different kind of way. And besides, he's got you to help him out."

"I'm not exactly helping though, am I?"

"Are you kidding? Look, you might not be in the computer with them, but you've always got food and water waiting for them. I've seen you leaving snacks for Donny when he's been sat at that machine for too long, and the way you are with Mikey, showing him some of your crazy skills when the conversation gets a little too…bleak. You are doing everything you can, and that's just the stuff I see when I'm here. I got no doubt you can keep Leo focused. You're like the glue of the gang."

Venus could help laughing at the image.

"Alright it's not my finest metaphor, but you know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, I do." Venus got up to grab some water for the pair. "Don't think I've ever heard us being referred to as a 'gang' before."

"Sorry, 'clan' wasn't in my vocabulary before I met Raphael."

The paired grinned at each other and Venus was glad for their easy camaraderie in the coming months. They soon developed a routine, seeing the boys off, discussing developments or the news, keeping an eye on April, and then moving in to give whatever support was needed when the guys returned.

A couple of months in, Donatello's security scanners picked up Purple Dragon and disbanded Foot activity very close to the lair, and patrols had shown the two groups to be extremely hostile. They'd had a couple of close shaves, especially when a Purple Dragon managed to grab hold of Mona when the team was escorting her home and threatened to shoot her. The next evening she was very quiet but Venus didn't press her, sitting with her sword and energy near the surface, ready to defend the lair. Donatello had asked her to be on high alert without Leonardo's knowledge.

Soon it was Mona pacing.

"Now who's wearing out the floor?"

"I'm sorry, I just…I don't know how to explain it. I'm all…"

"Jumpy?"

"Kinda. I've seen some crap out there but I've never been directly threatened like that."

"Mona, it's okay. It's a scary thing to happen."

Mona stopped pacing and went to sit with her friend.

"You know, I sometimes find you guys scary. Like, the weapons you use, it's crazy! Especially you with your gifts."

"Believe me Mona, you haven't seen Raphael use his sais in a rage, or Leo his sword on stealth missions. They are the most lethal things I have ever seen."

"More so than a gun?"

Venus paused.

Mona continued. "You see, that's what's troubling me. You guys are dangerous, for sure, when you want to be. But with your blades or nunchucks or staffs or crazy powers, there's an element of control. If a kid picks up Raph's sais, he's more likely to hurt himself than anyone else. But a gun….there's no controlling it. This is what I don't get with this country. 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people'. Yeah well a machine that allows you to fire lead from a good few metres away certainly helps. Someone trained like Raph could probably do as much damage as a gun, but those mooks your fighting out there, they aint got no training or skill, yet they can kill people just as quickly and easy, without even looking their victim in the eye."

Venus gave her a serious look. "That's why they're cowards Mona."

"I know. At least with those Foot dudes you know you can grab yourself a bit of security by moving far away from them. And they've got some semblance of a code." She caught Venus' look. "Hey, I know it don't agree with your code, but they've got a purpose, you know? They aint wildly stealing or ransacking places and firing off guns for fun." She raised her brows at the turtle. "Don't they scare you?"

"To tell you the truth Mona, I despise guns. They terrify me." Venus saw Mona's eyes widen. "Not just because of their unpredictability: the sound, the smell after one's fired. I hate it. And no amount of skill with a blade can protect you from a bullet. That's what scares me the most."

"But you can form some kinda shield right? Like ice or something?"

"I can, but if I'm not close enough to my friends or family, then what can they do? I can't protect them. My awareness always spikes as soon as a gun enters a fight, and I can see the anxiety it gives the guys. I can see their fear, even Raph's. It's a coward's weapon, and sometimes cowards are more dangerous than the most skilled and ferocious killer."

The pair sat in silence for a moment, the sound of the data machine filling the lair while Mona absorbed Venus' words.

"Well, would you consider protecting me? I mean by teaching me how to protect myself?"

"You want to learn how to fight?"

"Well I know how to come out on top in a bar scrap but not when the guy's got a weapon."

"I can't protect you against guns," Venus stated, earning a small smile.

"Well maybe not, but maybe you can help not to get jumped by some wack-job dragon again," Mona replied. Venus couldn't help but smile back.

After that their waiting around became training sessions for Mona. While Venus had to admit the lizard didn't have any particular skill, she soon learnt some tricks that could disarm someone of their weapon, get herself out of a headlock, and immobilise someone so that she could make a quick getaway. After a few weeks, Venus could see an increase in her strength, and her confidence.

"Remember Mona, in real life it won't be like this," she began to warn her after a particularly successful session. "Out there, you don't what someone's going to do, or how afraid you will be. Control yourself, and you have a better chance of controlling the situation."

"Yes oh wise one," Mona bowed, smirking slightly when she stood back up. She placed her feet into a fighting stance. "Ready for another round?"

At that moment a great flash emitted from the machine. The girls and April turned to see three large turtles walking through the portal, supporting the fourth. Venus sprinted straight over when she saw the pain on Michelangelo's face.

"What happened?" she asked, immediately leading them to Donny's lab.

"He got hit by some sort of beam," Raph replied. He didn't look so good himself. "We all got caught but he took the direct force. It made us all feel dizzy but Mikey hasn't recovered from it. What we gonna do D?"

The concern in his face led Mona straight to him and she gripped his hand as Donny and Leo laid Mikey down on one of the beds. The genius then grabbed a load of wires.

"I need to monitor his brain activity for any fluxes or…" The word 'damage' hung in the air. "Mona, can you help me lay the patches?"

"Of course."

She took the wires from a shaking Donatello, whose skin was nearly as grey as Mikey's. April walked in with a tray of coffees.

"To steady your nerves."

Donny took it immediately while the other two eyed the liquid suspiciously.

"Coffee has been proven to help with the effects of nausea. And I really don't want you guys throwing up on me."

Venus noticed now how queasy they looked and grabbed the mugs to thrust into their hands.

"Do as the doctor says," Venus ordered, staring at them before they finally took a sip. The grimaces were obvious. "So what kind of beam was it?"

"Dunno," Raph replied, taking another sip. He nearly gagged. "We were fighting against this psycho digital scientist when he snagged us with the beam. Mikey was blasted in the chest and we all fell over. Don't know how long we were out for, but I woke up to Leo poking me and Don. Felt like we were on a dingy in the middle of the Atlantic during a storm. Eventually we could stand without nearly throwing up but Mikey hasn't really recovered."

All of them looked at the brother in question who was curled up in a ball, hands on his stomach and eyes squeezed shut. He was so pale.

"I need to make sure his brainwaves aren't disrupted," Donny stated. "I need to know if his reactions are out of pain or completely uncontrolled."

"What you need is to sit down, Donatello," April replied, placing a hand on his arm. "Mona and I can monitor the activity. Get some rest."

"I'll be fine. It's Mikey who's been the most effected."

"Yes but he's not the one suffering with chronic exhaustion!"

Donny gave April a hard stare. He couldn't really deny it; everyone could see the bags under his eyes, the drawn pallor of his skin that had nothing to do with nausea. And everyone knew how little he had been sleeping since Master Splinter disappeared.

"Do what she says."

Brown eyes turned to blue. Don stared at Leo in disbelief.

"But Leo-"

"You're exhausted Don. After a bit of rest you'll be more helpful. At least sit down."

April pulled up a chair and all but forced him into it.

"I need to check-"

"I know, and that's what Mona and I are about to do. We need you Donny, and running yourself into the ground isn't going to help anyone."

Venus was relieved when Donny nodded in agreement. She noticed Raph and Leo's still full mugs.

"I'm going to make some strong ginger tea for everyone. That'll definitely help settle everyone's stomach." She nudged Raph forward slightly towards another empty chair. "Leonardo, come help me?"

The leader followed her out to the kitchen and she pulled out some frozen ginger of the freezer while the kettle was boiling. "You want to tell me what happened?" She had her back to him.

"Pretty much what Raph said. Mikey was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I should've pushed him out the way."

"And were you expecting a nausea inducing beam to hit you?"

"No but I should've guessed that creep would try something. We've been fighting in the digital world for months, and we haven't learnt anything. It's not like here; you can't sense a shift in energy or a scent. It's all so unreal in there."

"I'm guessing it's pretty disorientating." She added a slice of ginger to each mug before putting the rest in the teapot and then adding the water. "I'm surprised Mikey didn't anticipate what was happening, given all of his videogame experience." She didn't get a reply. "I'm sorry, was that a little insensitive?"

Turning, she was greeted by a very pale Leonardo. "Leo?"

He was covered in a cold sweat and gripping the kitchen counter, hard.

"Leo, talk to me."

He shook his head, wincing at the movement before almost panting.

"Please sit down. You look like you're about to faint."

He gripped her arm as they staggered towards the sofa. They were two steps away when she felt his legs give way and his body go limp. She took on his weight and twisted round in order to lay him on the sofa. She then heard a shriek from the lab and footsteps as Mona came running out.

"Leo as well?" All three brothers had collapsed.

Slowly, the girls got all three of them into beds in the lab and attached monitors to their skulls. April frown at the results.

"Their brain activity seems completely normal, pulses are fine, breathing too. Whatever it was that hit them doesn't seem to have done any damage."

"Could it be some kind of radiation that's made them feel ill?" Mona asked.

"Perhaps but I doubt it would be worth the risk using anything atomic due to the damage it could do to the digital world. Besides, Donny set up radiation sensors in here long ago. Any significant levels would've been picked up."

"So what do we do?"

"Sit and wait."

A couple of hours later Mikey began to stir. He opened his eyes to find Venus smiling at him.

"Hey."

"Hey," he replied. His throat felt really dry. "Are we back home?"

"Yes."

"Can I have some water?"

"You can, but chew on this first."

She pushed something into his mouth and he immediately recognised it as ginger. He made a face.

"Why?"

"Because it will help to settle your stomach and steady your senses. You know it works."

"I do but doesn't mean I like it." After a couple more chews he swallowed it, gladly accepting the water Venus offered him straight after.

"How do you feel?"

"A bit dizzy but nowhere near as bad as before. What about the guys?"

"They're still out, but they'll come around."

Before Mikey could protest Mona stepped forward with some dry toast. "Hungry?"

"I don't know."

"Well see what you can manage."

Venus rolled her eyes when he practically inhaled the whole thing.

A few hours later, all the turtles were awake, with Casey stopping by to check on them. April immediately banned any trips into the digital world for at least a week, which of course caused panic. However, a few days later Casey's intended (and dramatic) proposal provided an excellent distraction. Venus couldn't believe he, of all people, managed to find the ring of Yin, an object she'd only ever seen in scrolls. Nonetheless the guys were pretty quiet for the week, eating very little but drinking lots of water and cups of ginger tea. Mona had decided to stay at the lair to help Venus out while Casey and April went back to their apartment. One evening while Mona was having a shower, Raph approached Venus.

"Hey, you got a minute?"

Venus looked up from her book. Mikey and Donny had fallen asleep in their armchairs, one holding a newspaper, the other a comic. Leo's head was on her lap with his eyes pinched closed; he'd been struggling with a headache since he got back which was gradually fading. Raph was frowning slightly at the helpless sight of his oldest brother. She nodded.

"I just wanted to say thanks for helping Mona out with training and stuff. I should've shown her some basic moves months ago but it took her nearly getting shot for me to consider it."

"Raph you know we would never have let that happen."

"And you know how unpredictable these whack-jobs are. I really appreciate you teaching her stuff. I never realised how dangerous our life can be for others."

"And we'd never have it any other way."

"Easy for you to say, Venus. You can kick ass. But Mona-"

"Will soon be able to as well."

"Raph! You got any spare towels?!" Mona's echoed in the lair, making Don and Mikey jump. Raph smirked and winked at Venus.

"Yeah, just a sec!"

Venus was very glad that it was only a couple more months before the boys managed to bring back their father. Their 'illnesses' recovered and they threw themselves into finding him. The dramatic events of the wedding did nothing to curb the clan's delight at having its head return to them. Looking over their table, Venus could see the happiness on all their faces, and the sheer relief on Donatello's. She smiled as Casey and April had their first dance, glad that they finally had a chance at normalcy. Everyone seemed at peace despite the mass of broken tables and chairs after digital Shredder's attack. There were so many people she recognised in the barn, many of whom she hadn't seen since her first Christmas in the lair. Movement to her right revealed Mona dragging Raph to dance, prompting Mikey to run up and grab Angel's hands, while April's sister invited Donny. Venus remained in her seat, not feeling any disappointment at all in Leo's lack of offer. She could see him talking avidly with his father, the lines of anxiety fading from his face. She was content in seeing him happy and relaxed. The slow dance ended and people clapped as a more up-beat piece of music caused more guests to join the dancefloor. Venus chuckled to herself as Mikey began freestyling, prompting eye rolls from Donny, April, and Casey, and a mouthed 'wtf?' from Raphael.

When she realised she could no longer hear chatter, she turned to find Leo and Splinter had stopped talking, the latter sipping a glass of champagne. Venus saw that Leo was staring at her. He was smiling.