I own nothing.

"I should have seen it sensei. They baited us into a trap, and it was so obvious ... I don't know how they managed to trap that car, but …"

"Oh, I do," Casey interrupted raising a gloved hand. "That's how I knew you guys were in trouble."

Splinter looked up at Jones. His sharp eyes shone beneath their bushy brows. He still knelt from where he'd been cleaning Leonardo's foot. That had been a painful process for all his sons. His one comfort throughout it all was they were safe from further attack. They were all home, and no enemies knew of their home, nor did any humans who didn't already know of their existence know of it after this adventure. Now …

Casey continued. "The lady lives near my apartment building. She parked on the street outside all hysterical. She and her kids kept screaming even after they stopped, er their car had stopped. So, I tapped on her window to see what was the matter! After I asked what the problem was, she told me she nearly ran into this crowd a Purple Dragons standing right in the street. They were also blocking the alley on her left, so she had to pull into the one on her right to get away with them, cept they were there too on the far end. Then they surrounded her. Then they attacked her car."

Splinter nodded. "But she did not see my sons?" He had already cleaned their wounds, and that took some doing after what they'd had to walk home through, though they'd all attempted to avoid the worst while still taking the shortest route home, something they almost never did.

Donnie was no end concerned about all the bacteria and viruses (even parasites) that might have entered their bloodstream and exposed flesh. At least most of the pipes had been chilly of late harder for microscopic things to grow. Walking through the sewers after some pretty quick bandaging for he and Mikey by him, and Leo and Raph's by Casey Jones, didn't satisfy Dr. Don. Bandages were supposed to be kept dry and clean, and that had been pretty much impossible.

Splinter had ended up redoing all their bandages, when they arrived. Mikey had whined a lot. Donnie had grit his jaw really, really hard and moaned, maybe once, or twice. Raphael's had yelled once or twice. The rest of the time he'd loudly complained about the evil sneakiness of Purple Dragons.

Now, Leo had his foot up. He had sucked in his breath in such a way many hearing would have winced, but he hadn't yelled. Splinter had finished cleaning the wound. His eldest son was very busy blaming himself between further winces as he bandaged it. The one thing Leo thought he'd gotten right, was not being seen, or letting his brothers be seen, by those they'd rescued. So, he also watched Casey Jones carefully to learn if he'd failed in that too.

The human now raised and waved both hands at the mutants. His eyes were wide. "Oh, no! She just said her car finally worked and there was a gap in the Purple Dragons for her to take advantage of and escape em. Course, after I made sure she and the kids got inside and called the police, I couldn't let them get away with that! So, I grabbed my gear and hightailed it to the place it happened, saw the blood, followed it, and you all saw the rest!"

Splinter, Leo, Donnie, and Raphael's shoulders slumped and breathes were released. Mikey screamed, "We saved her Christmas, sacrificing our feet, and she doesn't even know about it!"

Splinter turned disapproving eyes beneath bunched, bushy eyebrows upon his youngest. "Michelangelo, you know that we work and do our good deeds in secret. It is safer and more virtuous that way."

"Well, yeah, but …"

"Michelangelo …"

"Yes, Sensei."

Leo sighed in relief, but then said. "Still, it was so obviously a trap. The extra, frozen ice and snow there. The car, the taunts, and I fell into it."

"Oh come off it, Leo." Everyone, including sensei, turned widened, astounded eyes upon Raphael. He had his elevated foot bandaged and his arms crossed over his plastron. He then jabbed a thumb at his own passionate heart. "We all know 'I' was the one who fell into the trap."

Leo exploded. "But 'I'm' the leader. It's my job to look out for things, to come up with strategies and see those of our enemies!"

Both turtles glared at each other across the empty space separating them injured feet barely keeping them from rising to confront each other in closer quarters. Splinter sighed in the silence. "Perhaps, my sons, it is better to admit you both made mistakes and take this painful lesson to heart to learn to 'both' be more careful ninja next encounter with your foes."

Leo glanced down nervously at his father. "You're not mad, Sensei?"

Splinter pulled the bandage on Leonardo's foot tight causing a grimace to come from the turtle and replied. "I am very angry, but I see your punishment has come about naturally. It is unlikely any of you can expect to heal as quickly as possible, and also walk, for a week at least, maybe two. And 'that' should prove boring and difficult for all of you, my sons."

As expected, protests came from all three of Leonardo's brothers. Leo himself bowed his head in silence. For his part, Casey spoke into a gap in the protests "Is the Christmas party still on?"

Splinter stroked his beard and nodded. "Perhaps, it is still more than two weeks away."

Casey sighed in relief. Don leaned back in his swivel chair with a frown. Raph glared and re-crossed his arms. Mikey stared blankly ahead the uncommon expression of worry carved into his face. Leo whispered "Should we contact our guests and tell them we might not be able to host them all here after all?"

Sensei patted his eldest son's green knee. "Let us give it a little more time Leonardo and see what the future brings."

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes