A/N: Well, here it is people. The next chapter is here. There is one more and an epilogue to follow.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I get paid nothing. I don't see that changing, ever really. Please don't sue me.

Chapter - 10

Leo raced over to where Don and Mikey lay on the roof. He called their names, but got no response. Not that he had really expected one. Carefully, Leonardo tried to roll Don off of Mikey, but the seemingly unconscious purple masked turtle had actively resisted the movement. Gently, he tried again, and this time had more success. Donatello was off of Michelangelo, but still had one hand clasped around Mike's wrist. Both were unconscious, but they were breathing. Mikey even seemed to be doing marginally better than earlier. At least the bleeding had finally stopped. One brother was still unaccounted for and as much as he hated to do it, Leonardo had to leave these two where they were. There was nothing he could do for them.

Mikey! Mikey, where are you! Donatello called out. Moments ago he had found himself face down on a beach. He didn't know how he had gotten there, but he knew his brother was nearby. It was warm, but the skies were dark, ominous. A single ray of sunshine spilled down and focused on him. All around him a storm raged, but where he was, in the eye, the sun still reached the ground. To him it meant there was hope.

Donnie? What are you doing here? Mike was surprised by his brother's sudden presence. He was shouting over the winds that whipped around him.

I don't know for sure. I just knew that I had to. Mikey, you can't leave yet. Don yelled back.

It's my time, bro. My number came up. You know I would have loved to drive you guys up the wall with this new bouncing thing, but that is not meant to be. Mike cried over the winds. Take Care of yourself, Donnie. He took two steps into the wind and away from his brother before Donatello shouted at him again.

No Michelangelo! That is meant to be. Fight this, at least give it a try. Take my hand, Mikey. We'll fight it together! Don begged. He offered a hand to his brother as he cautiously stepped from the spot of sunshine.

Michelangelo skeptically eyed the proffered hand, but since Don had come this far he couldn't just leave his brother hanging like that. Mikey reached out and accepted the offering.

The blue-masked turtle raced to the edge of the roof and scanned the rubble of the neighboring warehouse for his third brother.

"Raph!"

Leo saw some movement amongst the rubble and leapt to the ground below. Almost before he was down Raphael was pushing his way from underneath the fallen concrete. All Leo could do was stare. He'd watched the grenade go off right behind Raphael, and he'd watched the building crash down around his red-masked brother. Yet, even with all that Raphael was crawling out of the wreckage with nothing that seemed more severe than a few cuts and bruises.

"Leo? How's Mikey?" Raph asked as he approached his brother. He was rather surprised to find Leo down here instead of up with Mike.

"He's uh, Donnie's up with him. Sort of, I guess." Leo was flustered to notice that his initial assessment had been incorrect; Raph didn't even have cuts and bruises. The worst thing wrong with him was that he was a little dusty.

"Sort of? Donnie? Wasn't he…?"

"Yeah. All I know is that he came up shortly after you jumped to the other building. Then he took over caring for Mike, and I was fighting. Then the grenade went off, and when I went over to them they were both unconscious."

"And you just left them up there!" Raphael bellowed.

"There was nothing I could do for them, Raph." Leo could feel another fight brewing.

"Well you weren't needed here! They're the ones who are unconscious!"

"How was I supposed to know that I wasn't needed here? Who'd have thought you'd be just fine after getting blown up and a building dropped on you!"

Raph seethed for a moment, but took a step away from his brother and inhaled deeply. "Leo, we don't have time for this."

Leonardo's shoulders slumped. "I know Raph. Let's go get them." The two turtles hurried back up onto the roof.

The wind raged around the two turtles on the beach, and the sea roared as a wave crashed over them. Together they fought for the shore. Three cheers for amphibious turtles! Mike mused as he struggled through the water. The battle was made more difficult by the one hand that was wrapped around Don's wrist, but he refused to let go. Both knew that they had to remain together if either was to survive.

Donatello's foot found sand and he pulled Michelangelo to his feet. The pair rushed out of the water and hurried back toward the small spot of sun that Don had brought with him to the beach.

It was easier said than done, for every step they took toward the light the wind forced them backward two.

Mikey, we're going to have to circle it! Move perpendicular to the wind!

Huh? Why? Mike knew what perpendicular meant, what he didn't understand was why they needed to move that way.

Trust me, Mike! The two turtles set off again, fighting the wind every step of the way.

Arriving on the rooftop Leo and Raph found Don, once again, curled protectively around his seriously injured brother.

"That's not how I left them." Leo stated warily. "I rolled Don onto his back before I went to find you." Leo heard sirens sounding in the distance. "We have to get out of here, Raph.

Raphael made to pick up Michelangelo who was closest to him, but found that his two unconscious brothers were unwilling to let each other go. They had latched onto each other's wrist and refused to let go no matter what Raph and Leo tried. Finally, they were forced to make do and move them together. It was quite a trick getting Mike and Don safely down the nearest manhole, but the feat was accomplished moments before the police and fire department arrived.

"Leo, what happened to them? This isn't normal." Raph asked as he and Leonardo moved down the tunnels. Mike and Don were suspended between them. Upon dropping down to the sewers Leo had gone out of his way to take up Mike so Raph had switched over to Don's side.

"I don't know, but I'll bet Don has something to do with it."

Raphael noticed the ice in Leo's voice and couldn't help but feel that it was misplaced. Something was wrong with the blue-clad turtle, and he'd had a bug up his shell for too long now. Raph was quickly becoming tired of his attitude.

"With as strange as this is, I have no doubt of that." Raph admitted. "But, Leo, surely you know that Don wouldn't hurt Mike, he's probably doing everything he can to help. Did you even notice that Mikey's not bleeding anymore? Lay off him, Leo. You've been on Donnie's case since he woke up that day, and he didn't do a thing."

"This is not the time, Raph." Leo warned carefully.

"It's never the time." The red-clad turtle shot back before taking a moment to calm himself. "Yes, we gotta get these guys home, but don't think for a minute that you are off the hook. We will be continuing this conversation later."

They made the rest of the short trip home in a less-than-companionable silence. Every now and then Mike's breath would hitch and Leo would freeze, stopping Raph as well. When Raph felt Don's breathing stop for a moment he wondered what his brother had done, and if it would be worth it. He sighed in relief when the purple-clad turtle started to breathe again.

Mike nodded and started circling the spot of sunlight with his brother. Don had chased him to this place, but now they were each other's strength. When Mike stumbled Don was there to steady him, and when Don fell Mike helped him up. They circled the light faster and faster, occasionally drifting away from it, and other times pulling back in toward it. Mikey could feel the wind changing; suddenly it no longer blew in straight lines forcing them away from the light. Now it spun around them, following their circular path. It was like being caught up in a dervish, and suddenly he understood what Donnie had been trying to do.

NOW!

Mike heard the mental shout and knew exactly what he was expected of him. He pushed forward toward the light and knew that Don was right beside him. The moment he touched the small spot of sun the winds died and the sunlight expanded across the beach. Mike lay down on the beach in the sun for a moment relieved that they had made it. It was only after he had laid down on that sand, knowing the danger had passed that he realized Don wasn't there with him.