Disclaimer: I own enough of their merchandise to own it! Oh! If those dumb producers of TP cared they would have at least put the episodes on DVD for us faithful followers! (Looks around at the glaring producers) …Oops? No! No! I didn't mean it!

A/N: Yes, well you all know that I got back from my third vacation last week. What you didn't know is the new stuff I thought up! I saw this story going in a completely different direction until I went on my trip then it all became clear!

10:30 am

The Center Lobby

The Center

Blue Cove, Delaware

"Look, my amigos, I'm just your average friendly door-to-door salesman trying to make an honest living!" Argyle begged and pleaded, currently being dragged into the lobby.

"Come on, guys! Just let me go! I have a family to feed!"

Dog whined. Suddenly, the lobby had become the very model of a battlefield. People were running in all directions, screaming about monsters escaped from SL 26, rampaging all over the building. Argyle stopped his shameless pleading for a moment to join in the screaming.

"Oh my gosh! Monsters?! You guys gotta save me! I'm too young to die! Uh ho ho!! Oh please protect me!

Four giant turtles rounded the corner and Argyle jumped into his captor's arms with a shrill scream that nearly burst the eardrums of everyone within hearing distance.

The four mutants and two humans ran by closer than Argyle would have liked. The turtles all were bearing weapons, and one human had a gun and the other was brandishing a metal bar. One of the humans poked his head out of the group to take a closer look at the grown man in the sweeper's arms.

"Argyle? !"

"J-man?! Oh, you guys gotta save him from the monsters too! He's my buddy!"

The sweepers started to advance, but Jarod pulled his gun.

"Oh no they don't, I am just fine where I am. In fact, Argyle, you are coming with us. Gentlemen, please put Argyle down, or I'll let Raph here lose on you guys."

Raph smiled. "And I would be oh-so happy to oblige!"

The sweepers took one look at the now-talking mutant and fainted in swoon.

"And that's how the dominos fall! Come on, dude. If Jarod wants ya to come, then you come." Mikey grabbed Argyle and hauled him to his feet.

"Whew! But as soon as we are out of here, I suggest a shower!"

The group continued their headlong charge to the nearest exit. Alarms sounded everywhere but not many dared to oppose the turtle freaks and their friends. Security doors slowly slid shut. The bunch was saved many a time by the accurate throw of a weapon to jam the doors. Making it to the parking garage was also no easy feat, but made it they did. Jarod promptly hot-wired a van and they all piled in without a word. Jarod drove and Kara sat in the front seat. Everyone else mounded in the back, trying to be as discrete as possible.

"What are you doing with these people, J-man? Are they on drugs? I told ya, 'drugs mess you up', man, but did you listen to me? No, you had to go and have it your own way…" Argyle chattered from his place, smushed between Don and Leo. Raph sat in the back, holding onto the squirming Dog for all he was worth.

"Here, take your dog. I don't think he likes me too much."

"Oh, thanks. Those drugs, J-man. They mess up your brain. They do stuff to ya…"

"Argyle," Jarod growled as he took another glance at his rearview mirror, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to rescue you, man! After you sent me home like six months ago I had nothing to do. My old man died. He's with momma and the big guy in Heaven now. Anyways… "

Jarod turned onto the highway. He sighed and put a hand to his head.

"Where can I drop you off at?"

"Hey, no, J-man! I'm stayin with you this time! We're friends and friends don't split up! Remember what happened last time I left? You went and got yourself thrown in that Centre place. No, my friend. This time I am staying right here."

"Uh! Great, I forgot there was a toll road down this way, and we don't have any money on us." If Jarod could have slammed his head on the wheel right then he would have.

"But this is our best chance of getting away unnoticed. If we went any other way we would have to double back close to The Centre. They would have sweepers by the hundreds out looking for us now."

"I know, Kara, I know. Argyle, do you have any money one you?"

"Up, sorry, J-dog. I got robbed in San Fran… or was it Chicago? No, nope, I got my car stolen in Chicago. So what happened in San Fran?"

"A simple yes or no would have sufficed."

"Well, then no. But I know how to get some. Just stop up at one of those coin machine thingies."

"Argyle, don't do anything stupid. We don't need attention drawn to us."

"Oh, don't worry. I did this before I got my car stolen in Salt Lake … or was it Palm Springs?"

Argyle jumped out of the car as it slowed to a stop next to a machine-operated tollbooth. The old man behind the change window gave him a weird look, but failed to stop him in his acts. Argyle crawled over to the machine and stuck his hand down into the coin slot. Back in the car Jarod finally slammed his head down on the steering wheel.

"I am cursed," he muttered.

The old man in the change window chose that exact time to steal a quick glance at the car behind him. He did a double take and his eyes widened. He immediately tried to climb out his change window, as there was no other way out of the booth.

"Hey! Hey! Stop right there! I'm a Vietnam Vet and you don't want to mess with me, sonny!"

Argyle jumped up in fright and tried to make a run for the car but the hand stuck in the machine held him back.

"Oh! Uh oh! I swear pop's, I didn't do anything!" He got down on his knees and pleaded. "Oh, I am a poor, down on his luck, beggar! Spare my poor soul fifty cents so that I may see my dying Grandmother on her death bed!"

Jarod jumped out of the van and yanked Argyle's arm out of the machine. The once poor beggar man held up to quarters.

"Oh, look! Fifty cents!"

He deposited it back into the machine and jumped in the van. Jarod hit the gas just as the toll bar rose upwards. The old man was left in the dust, yelling that he would get his old platoon after them.

Jarod held up his index finger, eyes wide and head shaking.

"Never! Never again, Argyle! You aren't getting out of this van until I find some place to dump you!"

"Oh, come on! I'm an asset to the team! You need me and my sly skills!"

"The only thing we need, Argyle, is for you to get out of our hair before you get us killed! I'm dropping you off in Dover and that is final! And you're not going to follow me this time!"

"But-"

"No!"

"But-"

"Argyle, no!"

Jarod pulled off the exit for Dover and accelerated slightly, wanting to be rid of Argyle. Forty minutes later they pulled into Dover in record time. Jarod opened the side door and ushered Argyle out.

"Now go."

"But, J-man, you don't really want to do this. You're just mad. Give it some time!"

Jarod sighed. His head sank a bit, showing his obvious exhaustion.

"Argyle, You are one of my few friends that I have had for more than a month, and for that reason I need you to leave. Here," Jarod pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Here's a pin number for a Centre account. Take as much money as you want. It's untraceable and has been for awhile. I can't let you come with us, Argyle, because I care about you!"

"Aww man!" Argyles face pulled itself into a frown and a few tears rolled down his cheeks. "That was so sweet! I'm gonna miss you, buddy!" And with that he all but fell into Jarod, giving him a big bear hug. Jarod resisted at first but finally settled and gave him a few pats on the back in return. He pried himself loose and climbed back up into the van. Argyle stood on the sidewalk as the van pulled away, tears in his eyes and a crumpled piece of paper with a pin number on it in his hand. He lifted one hand and gave a small, feeble wave as he picked up Dog and walked down the sidewalk towards the nearest bank.

Raph let out a sigh.

"Okay, who was he?"

Jarod too let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"Someone I met awhile back. He… let's just say the man will do anything for money, even selling me to The Centre."

Kara bolted up right, her eyes wide.

"He tried to sell you to The Centre and you're friends with him?!"

"Acquaintances really. It a long story and I really don't want to get into it right now."

"So where are we gonna go now?" Mikey spoke up from the back seat.

"The sewers are out of the question with two organizations looking for us. It was hard enough staying away from one," Leo reasoned.

"So where do we go?"

Kara brightened up. "Ohio!"

"Ohio?"

"Yeah, Jarod. Remember you bought that ranch house up in Ohio after you did that pretend as a large animal vet?" Let's go up there. It's secluded enough."

Mikey perked up at the sound of 'farm', hope in his voice.

"A farm would be a good idea. We could lay low for awhile, stay out of the way. It'd be good."

"All in favor for the farm?" Jarod asked as he turned onto the road leading to the highway.

A course of 'I's' greeted his proposal.

"Alright! Ohio it is then!"

They hadn't been driving for more than a half an hour before they came to an exit under construction.

"Oh great!" Raph sighed as he shrank back into his seat. "Let's hope none of them construction people are nosey."

Jarod broke into a cold sweat. He gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white.

"Since when did construction workers come to work in black town cars?"

"Jarod!" Kara started to panic. "We gotta get out of here!"

"I'm trying. If I go to either side then we are going to roll down this embankment and crash. I can't go forward and I can't turn around to go back from where we came from…we're stuck and they know it!"

Suddenly Raph let out a cry of rage and pounced for the doors.

"Whoa! Raph! Dude! Do you want to be seen? What the heck are you doing?!"

"Let go, Mikey! That freak! That Chutuck freak said he would finish us off just like he did 'the rat'. He killed Master Splinter! He's gonna die!" Leo came forward to help hold Raph back.

"Jarod… give us ten minutes with that pack out there and you can get through. The question is, can you shake them after we're on the road again?"

"Um… yeah… It'll be hard but I think I can do it. It's our only choice, right?"

"Good. Ok, Raph, just keep you're cool. Grab Chutuck. We'll take him with us. Got it?"

Raph shook his arms loose and grabbed his Sais out of his belt, licking one as he stared at the gleaming metal.

"I'll try but I can't promise anything."

"Good enough. All right, guys. Watch out for the tranquilizer guns that they will no doubt have. If one of us gets hit it is all over."

The four turtles burst out of the van as one, yelling and hollering. The sweepers were taken by complete surprise.

"Fire!" screamed Dr. Chutuck. The sweepers shot darts right and left but none of them found their marks. Donny made quick work of the guns, knocking them out of their hands with his Bo. Raph could care less about not harming them in his moment of insane anger and screamed Splinter's name the whole time he took out the men in black suits. In no time flat Chutuck was the only man left conscious. Raph grabbed him by the collar and put a Sai to his throat.

"My brother requests that I keep you alive- for now. But if you so much as utter a squeak I might loose my control and end up killing you here! You are sooo lucky we're in a hurry. Otherwise I would make you die slowly and painfully on the spot for murdering our Sensei," he ground out between clenched teeth.

Chutuck resembled a deer in the headlights when Raph grabbed him. He shook all over and tried to say something but his lips wouldn't respond. Raph let out another growl and shoved him none to gently into the awaiting van. His brothers followed. The car ride to Ohio was dead silent. All four turtles glared daggers at Chutuck. Even Mikey's face was as grim as could be. Kara and Jarod sat in the front, not even turning around to see the stressed situation in the back.

"I… I… It…"

Leo pounced on Chutuck.

"Shut up," he roared. "You're judgement will come when we arrive, and let me tell you I don't think you are going to survive you're punishment for killing our Master."

"It…"

"Shut it! You think we're animals. You'll get to see just how ferocious we can be soon. Raph give me your bandanna. I don't want to listen to his trivial excuses anymore."

Raph untied his headband and handed it over to Leo. Leo also took off his own. He blindfolded and gagged Chutuck. The man sat there in the back corner of the van where we was thrown, in a fetal position shivering and shaking, no longer able to cry out or try to justify his actions. Minutes passed by like hours. It was silently agreed not to take any pit stops. Eleven hours later they pulled into the driveway of Jarod's ranch house. Raph and Leo both hulled Chutuck out of the have. Between them they lifted him off the ground and towards the back of the property.

"Now Doctor we are going to tie you up in the back yard like the dirty mongrel you are. The house is too good for you." Raph couldn't hide the repugnance from his voice as he held tight to the squirming villain.

6:00 am (the next morning)

The porch

Jarod's Ranch house

Rural Ohio

WARNING: FIRST PERSON KARA:

I sat on the wall of the porch and marveled at the rain. Isn't it a lovely thing? It's so destructive in large amounts, killing humans and animals alike, damaging farmer's crops, and spoiling children's outdoor plans. Yet it is also life giving and beautiful in moderation. Without it everything on this Earth would perish. It's a necessary evil.

So I sat here and gazed at this liquid that holds such a special purpose for us all. To my left there was a mountain covered in trees. Maples and Oaks that were once visible hours before are now meshed into a blur of dark greens and grays. To my right the gutters overflowed from the substantial downpour they are forced to bear. The dirt road leading to the house beyond that was now a muddy creek. I could see the pond glistening and dancing across the road but bushes and brambles blocked most of my view. I felt like jumping off my perch to go dance about in this storm, but then I would ruin this perfect view and this peaceful moment. The thunder was distant and the lightening flashes, few and far between. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, but a blood-curdling cry ripping through the woods ruins the tranquility of it all. I opened my eyes to see Leo and Raph untying the doctor from the tree where they had left him for the night. As they dragged him off into the woods I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sure he was probably as evil as Lyle, but his fate would be a horrifying one. Even from here I could tell that Raph and Leo were still enraged and distressed beyond words. They would show the doctor no mercy for killing their teacher.

I turned my head from the morbid scene as I heard the screen door open. Mikey came over and sat on the opposite side of the stonewall with me.

"Why didn't you and Donny go with them?" I jerked my head towards the receding forms of the two turtles and their foe. Mikey shrugged and scrubbed a bit at his eyes. They looked red and sore. No doubt he had been mourning Splinter's death.

"I donno," he said. "I think that, even if I wanted to, I couldn't murder that dude in cold blood. Leo and Raph, they want revenge. I don't want revenge. I don't even wish for the dude to die. Master Splinter's time was coming and I think he knew it. One day I'll see him again, but when I do I don't want him to be angry with me for letting my own anger cloud my judgement. Raph and Leo on the other hand, think differently. They think they're bringing honor to Sensei by killing his murderer" He shrugged once more. "It's just a matter of opinion and what you think is honorable. So I let them go on their way and Donny and I don't try and change their stars."

I smiled a bit for Mike's sake. I sensed a kinship with this turtle friend of mine.

"Hmm. Not wanting revenge. I remember sitting on a porch the night Jarod told me my mother was killed and telling him I didn't want revenge on Lyle. I also remember I told him that I knew Lyle wouldn't meet a normal human's fate. I think Lyle got that abnormal fate, but you know, now that Lyle's dead, it doesn't make me feel any satisfaction. I feel less afraid now that he isn't on the pursuit team but it didn't ease the pain of loosing my mother any."

"I know." His voice was almost a whisper and his anguish was apparent. A tear slipped down his face. "I miss him."

I got up from where I sat, walking over to Mikey, intending to give him a hug. Once I got to his side I realized there was nowhere to sit. So I slipped onto his lap and held him tight. My heart went out to the youngest of the turtles as he wept openly into my shoulder. I hated to see anyone in any type of pain, but Mikey's pain hit home. I wanted him to be happy more than anything. We sat there for what seemed like eternity. His tears soon dried up but he still held me and I still held him. He sat on the wall and I sat on his lap. My head was on his shoulder and his on mine.

"Splinter would want you to be happy, Mike. For the short time I've known him I am positive that he would want you to get on with you're life and let the past be the past."

I broke the hug that had lasted for so long and stared him straight in the eye.

"A wise man once said 'A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough.'"

I thought I saw a glimmer of a smile on his face.

"Sensei used to say that."

"He sounds like a wise rat. What else did he say?"

This time Mikey really did laugh. It was a small laugh but it was still a sign of merriment.

"Well my bros and me used to sneak out into the sewer when we were little he used to…"

The two of us talked for hours. Mikey shared memories about when they were younger and I mostly listened. Every once in awhile I would tell him one of my own memories but for the most part I just let him talk. This was a time of healing for him, and it was a chance to talk to a real friend for me. I think that maybe, just maybe, Mikey is more than a friend. It's been awhile since I had any friends for a period of time that knew me for me and not who I was pretending to be, but Mikey was different. He made me feel something I felt when my mom was alive, something I haven't felt since she died. Could it be possible that I love Mike, and would he love me back? I never got the chance to ask him. Suddenly my ears perked up. I turned to look towards the woods and cocked to the side a bit to hear better.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Yeah." Mikey made a move to get up and I slipped off his lap. He had an arm around my shoulder though and I can tell you I didn't mind one bit. "We should go inside. Leo and Raph are back."

"Why?"

"They are going to stay out here for awhile."

"But why would they do that when they could be inside?" I asked. It didn't make sense.

"They need to cleanse their souls after what they just did. They don't want to be around any innocents right after they killed someone. Whenever we came home from a battle where there happened to be a death, accidental or not, we wouldn't talk to anyone until the dawn of the next day. All life is precious and to show respect for the lives that were lost we fast and meditate until a new day has begun. A sunrise represents new life, so when the sun rises we go back to our normal schedules because life goes on. You watch. Tomorrow morning they will come in for breakfast and be the same as always."

Mikey led me inside just as I saw Leo and Raph clear the woods. Their faces were still stone cold but I could sense some sorrow breaking through. Dr. Chutuck may have been a monster but I still imagine that they would respect one of the many lessons their Sensei had taught them.

As Mikey and I walked into the living room we heard a loud crash from the kitchen. I rushed in with Mikey right on my heels. Pushing open the swinging door, I was greeted be a rather funny sight. A pan of sausages lay on the floor where they were obviously knocked from the stove, and Donny was standing over the stove with a pancake turner in hand, frantically beating out a smoldering dishcloth. Mikey busted out laughing.

"Way to go, bro!"

I skipped over to Donny in my usual overzealous way and grabbed the pancake turner from him. Using it to scoop up the dishtowel, I walked it over to the sink and turned on the water. It set up a cloud of smoke as what was left of a fire was snuffed out. Turning to Donny, I cocked an eyebrow. Don tried to sputter out an explanation.

"I… It just. Fawoom!"

He moved his hands as if to show something being engulfed by a ball of flame.

"You don't normally cook do you?"

Mikey interjected before Donny could say a word in his own defense.

"Are you kidding? Good old Donny here can't even boil water!"

He slung an arm around his brother and leaned against him.

"I guess Don just wasn't born to cook like me!"

"Come on, Donny. I'm sure we can scrap up something together for breakfast."

As Mikey, Donny, and I searched around the kitchen for something to eat Jarod wondered in, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he shuffled into the room.

"Was' all the noise bout?" he mumbled.

"Oh nothing." Mikey smiled. "Donny just caught the counter on fire. You should have seen him!" He did a dramatic reenactment of Donny putting out his fire with the pancake turner. Jarod smiled wearily and made a beeline for the coffeepot.

"By all rights, I should have had another hour to sleep. Never get that around here though with five teens running around."

He shuffled back out of the kitchen, cradling his coffee mug.

"Oh come on, Jarod! You know you're just as bad as us once you've had your caffeine fix!" I yelled after him. Seriously! He really is as bad as me at times with the stuff he does.

Breakfast was too marvelous to put into words. Mikey's a better cook than me! 'Course we both had to hover over Donny like hawks to make sure he didn't burn anything. He protested many times saying he was a ninja and he thought he could handle a few pancakes. In the end we ended up crumbling what was left of Donny's "pancakes" and transformed them into a type of sweet bread pudding with a type blackberry and honey sauce on it. After breakfast Jarod went about to do his own thing while "us kids" cleaned up the dishes.

"Hey, do you guys want to go for a walk in the woods after this?" I asked.

Donny and Mikey both perked up, huge grins painted on their faces.

"Seriously?! This place is that desolate?! We can do that?!"

"Yeah. I mean we have to be careful cuz every once in awhile you'll come across someone, but those woods are pretty quite as far as the human population goes.

"Then let's do it, dude!"

Mikey was clearly excited and Donny wasn't far behind on the happiness scale.

"Ok let me just tell Jarod we're goin' out. JAROD!" I screamed.

"What?!" Jarod screamed back. He came running out of the bathroom, dripping wet with a towel around his waist. "What?! What's wrong?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Relax, Jarod." I put my hands in the air, showing him it wasn't what he thought. "Everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you that we were going out on a walk."

"Oh… um… ok. Have fun I guess."

He shuffled back into the bathroom and closed the door again.

"It takes awhile for the coffee to kick in," I joked.

Going out the back door so as not to disturb Raph and Leo in their meditating, we headed straight for the woods.

We hadn't been walking long when I heard the distant crack of a broken twig. We were all in crouches in a matter of milliseconds, and when another snap sounded we all dove for hiding places.

"It's either me, or the foxes are getting bigger out here!" came a deep bass voice.

Another little A/N: That little scene with Chutuck getting dragged off into the woods by Leo and Raph was intended for Lyle but when I got back from my trip I realized I already killed the guy! Oh and just so you all know Chutuck in Hungarian (that's not the way they spell it but…) means dishcloth. Oh and Onisius … did you like that little Jarod out of the shower scene I did there for you? Yes! That was just for you! And to answer your question about Debbie's age. The show had her at the beginning being super young like four or five and four years later she is like a teen! I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys I made her younger in my head. It just slipped my mind. Well Please R&R! I worked hard on this one and had it typed in three days!