A/N – I do not own any TMNT's. Never have, never will. I also wish to express my appreciation and thanks to all of those who reviewed. I know this is a strange story, but bear with me! I'm hoping to get things moving a long a little here, with some action scenes in up and coming chapters. For those who haven't reviewed, please free to start anytime:0) It's good to get feedback, whether you like this story or not. Maybe I've made an error or possibly something more grievous? Or maybe you have some suggestions? Hmm ... either way, R&R. It's what we fan fiction writers live for:0) Be blessed!

A/N #2 – As of January 28th, 2008, this story is a re-write from the original upload. I am slowly re-tooling each chapter to reflect my current writing style. I'm trying to improve WTAN, so if you see any changes – that is if you've read it before 'way back when' - feel free to PM me, as I'm certain you won't be able to review a second time, that is if you reviewed the first time. And, it goes without saying that if you've never reviewed, I'd love some feedback – especially constructive. :0)

Chapter 3 – Say What?

As I sat there in front of 'Father', I mulled over the things he just said regarding what my 'watch' would consist of. I saw at least three things wrong with his idea, though.

First, how was I even going to recognize these 'Foot' people? If I don't remember what they look like or even know what they were, that alone could endanger not only my life, but the safety of this lair as well.

Secondly, how do I confuse them enough to where they wouldn't find the lair when even I didn't know where it was? It seemed silly to me; sort of like the blind leading the blind, only in this case I would be trying to lose them!

Thirdly and scariest of all, if I did have to defend myself, how was THAT going to happen? I can't even fight my way out of a paper bag! I lost all of my 'fights' with my sisters and brother, albeit most of them were verbal. We might have tussled once or twice, but physical conflicts were strictly forbidden in my family.

So, recognizing that this was indeed a potentially dangerous situation, I voiced my concerns.

"Ah, I do have a few questions...what if I get lost? Um, it's rather hard to explain, but I kind of forgot where 'here' is for the moment." I said rather sheepishly, smiling a little in my nervousness.

Father looked at me from his squat and furrowed his brow. "What...do you mean you forgot where 'here' is?"

"Well, where exactly are we?"

Since I knew he was under the assumption that I was this Kira, his daughter who had grown up around him and his kin, I really didn't have a clue how I was going to explain my ignorance. I mean, why would he believe me? Using my excuse as 'just arriving' sounded ridiculous, even to me, but there wasn't any way I would venture out on this 'watch' detail until I was certain where the Lair was.

"Kira, don't fool with me, okay?" Father growled, "I'm not in the mood for it. You should count yourself lucky I didn't impose two hours of katas on you!"

Without thinking and I seemed to be doing a lot of that of late, I asked him, "What is a 'kata'?" I was so confused.

If his eye ridges could pinch together any closer than they were, they'd be switching sides!

Growling, Father rose to a stand and barked, "Enough of this foolishness. You will now do exactly what I said you were fortunate enough to avoid. Two hours with no breaks, no rest, no bathroom visits!"

By this point, I was getting just a little annoyed. I felt my tolerance with what was going on becoming more and more strained. I felt my emotions kicking in and knew it meant trouble for me.

With hardly a thought, I stood up in defiance and declared loudly, facing this one who called himself my Father, "How can I lure people away from where I am when I don't know where I am in the first place - and what's with the 'katas', anyway? I haven't a clue what you're asking me to do. I'm sorry but it's the truth. I - just don't – REMEMBER!" True to how I would normally react to frustrating situations in my former life, I began to cry. "H - how c - can I – I even do something when I just d – don't understand!" I wailed, tears now flowing freely down my face.

Father stood there staring at me. He was, for all practical purposes, in a state of disbelief. I guess he hadn't expected my reaction. Maybe Kira never cried or expressed any emotional outbursts like what I was doing now. Either way, I had had enough.

I stood up and ran out of the room. I heard him call me back in a loud angry voice, but I just couldn't stop; I had to get out. The need to flee had gnawed at me from the moment I arrived in this personal hell of mine and now all I wanted to do was to run away!

I ran passed the opened door that was Mike's room. I didn't even look to see if he was still in there. I ran through the corridor and into the first room where I initially arrived after my car accident. I noticed someone sitting in the rocker while another of the turtles, this one wearing a red mask, was exiting what looked like the kitchen area.

"Hey, Kira, what's the rush?" he asked as he attempted to block my path.

I dodged passed him, however, and though he tried to grab for me, I turned a swift one eighty around him and slipped beyond his reach. I did this quickly, which surprised me a great deal.

How'd I do that?

Nevertheless, in my panic I pushed that thought aside, never slowing down, and as I raced towards what I assumed to be the front door.

Just as I grabbed the handle and tried to yank it open, I realized almost immediately that they had the door locked. Frantically I searched around the knob, trying to find the latch to unlock it, but I found absolutely nothing. So, I grabbed the door handle again.

"How – come - this – stupid – door - won't – open!" I seethed between sobs, jerking on the handle, trying to force it open.

Suddenly, I noticed a panel just to the right of the barrier, with a series of numbers from zero to nine decorating as many buttons. My heart sank as I realized that this was the lock and without the combination, I would be getting out.

I leaned into the door and groaned. I was trapped!

Fearing the wrath of many, I turned around and saw 'Father' coming into the room, his eyes ablaze with fury. Mike walked close behind him, more confused than angry.

Standing off to one side of the room, near the kitchen doorway, Mr. Red - his arms crossed in front of him, a lopsided smug smile gracing his face - watched the spectacle with much amusement.

Then, I took notice of the other occupant in the room, the one in the chair. It was then that I recognized he was different from the rest. This one was - a rat! A rather large rat, the biggest rat I had ever seen. Just as the others were doing, the rat stared at me, confused, and concerned. And then another turtle - this one wearing a purple bandanna - came into the room from the same hallway as Father and Mike had, joining the rest of us in the living area.

Well, gee, since the gang's all here, let's party! I mumbled under my breath.

"What's all the ruckus abou..." Purple began to say, but when he spied me cowering by the door, he sighed and almost rolled his eyes, "Oh, it's just Kira...acting up again, Leo? Should have known." He then casually walked towards the kitchen, ignoring me with an air of disdain, and muttering on about the 'curse' of having kids or something like that. He disappeared inside the room and then I heard a cabinet door open, a telltale squeak announcing a need to oil the hinges.

But his comment about me being a curse caused me pause. Me, I'm a curse? If anything, I was the one cursed. But, I decided to keep my mouth shut for once. Probably wouldn't have done me much good, anyway.

"Kira, what has gotten into you?" Father asked. He stood there with his hands on his hips, scowling at me. He shook his head in reproof and I wanted to hide, I just wanted to go back to wherever I had been before my personal hell had started. Even a hospital bed would be better than this right now.

Father gave me one long disapproving look and then he turned to the turtle in red, "Raph, go and have Don make some of that tea, okay? We'll work here on getting her calmed down.

Something's up and I want to get to the bottom of it." Father then looked back at me and sighed. He relaxed, then, obviously confident that I would not be escaping just yet.

Raph glared at me, snorted once, and then he turned towards the kitchen, his swagger quite pronounced. As he disappeared through the doorway and from view, I thought about his name and, as I thought about his name, I realized it had to be short for Raphael. Just saying his name in my mind brought forth the other names; Leonardo – who would be my Father in this instance – Michelangelo, whom I had already figured out and who wore orange, while the one in purple - the one who had called me a curse - had to be Donatello.

As for the rat? Well, it certainly wasn't Chipper, that's for sure. If I wasn't mistaken, I knew his name was Splinter. It was all coming back to me now, except I was still confident that this realm, this world, was not mine. I might have finally remembered who these turtles where and what they were known as, but I was still adamant that my name was Alicia Gordon and NOT Kira!

Nevertheless, with my back to the door I realized that I didn't have a way out. I slid to the floor in a heap, defeated, and this time I cried, unable to hold back the deluge. I almost became hysterical with despair.

"This can't be real, this can't be happening; I must be in hell!" I sobbed, drawing my legs up, and hugging them tightly to me. I then buried my head into my knees and cried harder. I just wanted to disappear.

Instead, I felt arms wrap around me and I flinched, afraid. I wasn't sure who it was or what they were going to do to me. Suddenly, I felt myself lifted up by those same arms, strong arms that cradled me. I felt myself carried back through the living room and, so, I chanced a look and saw it was the turtle in blue, the one who had said he was my father. Leonardo.

His expression had softened considerably. He almost exhibited genuine concern and compassion. He hugged me close to him as he carried me; trying to comfort me, giving me words of encouragement.

"I don't know what's wrong, Kira, but I promise you, we'll work it out together," he murmured.

Quite honestly, I didn't have any fight left, not that I was trying to fight. But I was exhausted from the emotional trauma of finding myself in such a strange and foreign environment. I closed my eyes against the never-ending assault of strangeness and allowed Leo to take me to wherever he wanted to take me.

I wasn't long before I felt him adjust his hold and then I heard a door open, a similar squeak announcing another set of hinges that needed oiling.

I opened my eyes a little found that I was inside another room. It was different from the gym and the bathroom, or even Mike's bedroom. This one seemed more feminine in the way it was decorated, more like what a teenage girl would enjoy.

Ah, yes...must be my room he's taken me to, or Kira's to be exact.

As Father carried me through the room, I saw posters on the wall of cute animals and faraway scenes depicting castles. As he swung around, I next noticed a bed; it was twin sized, with a yellow and pink floral bedspread. Although a bit worn, it didn't look raggedy, either.

Deftly keeping hold of me with one arm, Father eased the comforter and blankets back. With one smooth motion, he had me on the mattress and covered up before I could even protest. As I lay my head on the pillow, I gave in completely to it. It felt good to have my head on something soft like that and I realized then how very tired I was. I closed my eyes as Father tucked the edges of the blankets under the mattress, securing me to the bed nice and tight. A wave of nostalgia swept over me, though, a memory from my childhood when my own father would tuck me in for the evening.

All of a sudden, tears came unbidden once again, and I cried again, this time for my family, the people who knew me as Alicia Gordon. Did they know I was missing? Were they missing me? These thoughts caused me to cry even harder.

All through my emotional breakdown, Father stayed seated by my bed, sitting on the floor next to me, gently stroking my head. After a while, I calmed down. I watched him through slotted, puffy eyes. He seemed genuinely concerned, yet with a bit of sadness in his expression, too.

Soon, Donatello came into the room and handed Father something. It was a cup, china blue in color, chipped a little around the pedestal, and I could see steam rising from in wispy, transparent tendrils.

"Kira, honey, I want you to drink this. It'll help you relax." Father entreated.

I shook my head, "No, I don't want anything; I just want to be left alone."

"You need to drink this; I insist!" he stated determinedly.

Again I refused. For all I knew they wanted to sedate me to keep me from escaping. Though I was for the moment lying down, my mind raced with ideas with how to get out of the lair, to escape, to get back to my old life.

"Kira, I will forcibly make you drink this. Please try to cooperate for once! It's for your own good!" Father pleaded again.

I shuddered at the thought of his forcing me to drink what was probably an elixir to sedate me. I looked up at Donatello and saw an all too familiar expression on his face, a hard unsympathetic look similar to the one that Father wore earlier.

Nonetheless, I realized that between the two of them, they would probably succeed in getting me to drink.

Resigned to my fate - at least for the moment, I relented. Father smiled as I nodded my cooperation. He gently cupped his right hand behind my head and lifted it, pressing the cup to my lips with his other hand. I anticipated a liquid that would curl my teeth, but instead I found a honey sweetened lavender and mint beverage, just hot enough to warm me as it slid down my throat. It was actually quite good and I found myself gulping it readily. Father smiled, pleased.

Then, just as I suspected, after I finished the last drop and as Father released my head to the pillow, I felt sleep pull on my eyelids. I knew then that they had indeed sedated me. Just before sleep overtook me completely, I silently prayed that if I did find slumber, when I awoke, this nightmare would indeed be just that. One very bad and distorted dream.