Long Night

Though Jeffery was out cold and didn't look like he was going to wake anytime soon, Donatello felt that chances should not be taken and used the cowl from Michelangelo's Turtle Titan costume as a blindfold. Now the two turtles stood at the hidden entrance that led to their home.

"Alright genius, now what?" The purple clad turtle asked as he shed his fedora and trench coat.

"I think we could get past Master Splinter with the help of Leo and Raph." Michelangelo replied.

This shocked Donatello so much that he dropped what he carried. "With the help of Leo and Raph!" He bellowed. "Are you insane?"

"What to do you mean?"

"They don't know that we went out to look for this guy. Shoot, they didn't even know we looked him up or that he's a Purple Dragon."

"Former Purple Dragon."

"Same difference. My point is they're not going to be too happy when they find out that we brought the guy home."

"It'll be ok." Michelangelo said with no remorse. "There is no way Leo could turn his shell on anyone in need. You know how 'holier-than-thou' he is."

"And what would Raph get out of helpig us?" Donatello questioned. "You know how much he hates Purple Dragons."

"He gets to be rebellious." Michelangelo answered without missing a beat. "You know how he never likes to flow with the tide."

Donatello grit his teeth together as he shot Mike a glare. "Well if you knew that they were going to help, why did you just come to me?" He snarled.

Michelangelo shifted Jeffery around on his back apprehensively. "Well…you see…um…I didn't." Then he flashed a big smile at Don. "But I figure with you on my side, it would be easy to get the others to join up."

"You mean you asked me cause I was an easy target." Donatello growled.

The big smile on Michelangelo's face turned into a nervous one and he asks, "You really don't want the answer to that…do you?" Don snarled again as he brought his hands up and curls them like he was going to strangle Mike. "I'm joking! I'm joking!" The young turtle cried as he quickly backed away from his livid brother. "I came to you cause you said if I need help with anything, I could. Honest."

Donatello dropped his hands. "I suppose I did open myself up for this." He sighed, before crossing his arms and bowing his head. Mike squated down in front of Don and looked up so he could watch his brother's face. "Alright." Don nodded a moment later. "I'll go talk to them and see what they have to say."

Michelangelo straightend up quickly. "Really?" He asked excitedly. "You mean you'll still help me and get the others as well?"

Donatello began to unlock the door. "I don't guarantee anything, but I'll see what I can do." When he finished opening the lair, he turned to Mike. "I want you to wait here." Don told him as he pointed to a spot on the sewer floor in front of him. "Give me time to prepare them for all of this. If we come in and they see that Jeffery is a Purple Dragon, they might kill all of us."

Michelangelo nodded. "Alright."

Donatello inhaled deeply to build up the courage to enter the lair. "If I'm now out in five minutes, think of the worse possible scenario and run." He added before slowly creeping in.

"You're a brave turtle Donnie." Michelangelo whispered from the entrance. "You're sacrifce will not go in vain."

Donatello rolled his eyes. 'Sacrifce my foot. The first moment they ask who's to blame, I'm pointing the finger at you...maybe.' He stealthly moved out into the center of the lair and looks to find nobody around. No one was in the exersiceing area or in the T.V. area either. 'It is pretty late, I guess everyone went to bed. That means I have to wake up either Splinter Jr. or The Hothead. But which one?' Don took a few seconds to think before he decides, 'I think I'd go with Splinter Junior first. Only he could really handle The Hothead.' He jogged over to Leonardo's room and raps lightly on the door. "Leon?" A non reply caused Don to slowly open the door and poke his head in; nobody was there. 'Maybe he's meditating.' He checked the dojo, but still no Leo.

"Guess I have no other choice." Donatello muttered as he moved up to Raphael's room. "But waking him will take a little finesse, especial with the way he snores." He threw Raph's door open with a slam. "Up and…?" Nobody was there. "…ok." Deciding to take a chance, Don went over to Master Splinter's sleeping quarters to ask where his brothers might be, but nobody there either and that left him with no other place to check. "Where the shell could everybody be?" He asked himself as he scratched the top of his head. "Oh well." Don shrugged. "Hey Mikey!" He called out. "The coast is clear, go ahead and bring the guy in."

Michelangelo poked his head into the lair. "You sure?" He looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"Got me." Donatello answered with another shrug. "You put that guy in your room while I check my lab for a note." He ordered. "I just hope they didn't break anything in there."

Michelangleo nodded. "Alright." Then quickly went up to put Jeffery in his room.

"And don't forget to take off that ridiculous costume." Donatello added, only to get a 'aw' in return. He shook his head as he went over to his lab area and finds a note on his workbench.

'Donnie, all the T.V.s shorted out. Master Splinter went to April's to watch the news. Most likely he will spend the night if he does the usual routine of falling asleep in front of the television. Raph and I decided hanging around the lair was going to be dull, so we went out for a midnight pizza and to hang out around the city a bit. Don't bother wating up for us. Leo. P.S. Seeing as you are already babysitting Mikey, make sure he goes to bed at a reasonably hour. You know how he is when he doesn't get his 'beauty sleep'. Catch you later.'

Miffed, Donatello crumpled up the note into a paperball and throws it into a nearby trashbin. "There are about twenty television set over there. How on Earth did those guys short them all out?" He took up his tools and headed for the TV area. "And what is this, 'Seeing as you are already babysitting Mikey, make sure he goes to bed a a reasonable time.'" He set his tools down so he could find the problem with the televisions.

Meanwhile, Elsewhere

Michelangelo threw his blankets to one side before placing Jeffery on his bed. Once the young man was tucked in, Mike took the rest of his costume off. Just as the turtle finished, a groan escapes from the lips of the young man. Mike went over to him to see what the matter was. Another groan followed by a bunch of small quick breaths comes from the Jeffery's mouth. The young turtle felt Jeffery's forehead to find it was hot and was starting to become sweaty.

"He's running a fever…I think." Michelangelo rushed over to his bedroom door and shouts out, "Donnie? Donnie, I need a bowl of water and rag."

"Why don't you get it yourself?" Donatello called back.

"Cause I have to stay here and keep up an eye on Jeffery." Michelangelo answered. "Besides, I think I may need you up here."

"Alright, I'll be up in a sec." Donatello sighed. "But if Leo and Raph get mad at me for not fixing the TVs I'm going to blame you."

"Whatever." Michelangelo went back over to his bed to check on Jeffery again.

Suddenly Jeffery sat up with his eyes still closed and grabs Mike by the shoulders. "I…I need a fix man." He moaned. "You got to help me…" He shook Mike violently. "I really, really, really need a fix."

Jeffery's actions confused Michelangelo and he was a little frightened by those actions. "But…"

"I'll take anything, anything." Jeffery said feverishly. "Any drug ya got or any drug ya can spare, please. I pay whatever price ya want."

"But I don't have any drugs." Michelangelo told the frantic young man. "Besides, you really don't need stuff like that." He pushed Jeffery back down on the bed. "What you need is some rest and…"

"NO!" Jeffery shouted as he pushed Mike's hands away and grabs the turtles face. "I told you, I-need-a-fix." He said severely as he brought Mike's face to his. "I have to have a snort, a pill, a shot. Shoot, even a toke would satisfy me for a bit."

Michelangelo grabbed Jeffery's wrists and pries the young man's hands off his face. "Drugs are not good for you. If you keep taking them, they'll kill you."

"Are you some kind of after school special!" Jeffery squealed. "I don't need you trying to run my life. I'm old enough to be able to make my own decisions." While yanking his wrist from Mike's hands, Jeffery opened his eyes. "Oh my god!" He screamed. "What in the world are you? Some sort of Martian?" Then suddenly, the young man started to laugh manically. "What am I saying, you have to be a hallucination." He shook his head. "Man I must have got a good batch of E…or maybe it was some tainted H." Jeffery went back to laughing.

Michelangelo was even more confused than he was before. "Good batch of E? Tainted H?"

"He means Ecstasy and Heroin." Donatello explained; he stood at Mike's door with the bowl of water and rag he promised to bring up. "There are two of the three top most wanted drugs." He came over to the bed and places the bowl of water on it. "The third being Cocaine."

"Ok, he said something about a snort, pill, shot…" Michelangelo counted on his fingers, "and a toke. What are all those?"

Donatello gave a deep sigh. "You snort lines of Cocaine, Ecstasy is a pill, shooting Heroin is really injecting yourself with the stuff through a syringe, and a toke is smoking Marijuana that is either rolled up like a cigarette or shoved in a glass pipe."

Michelangelo turned back to Jeffery. "What does any of that stuff do for you that makes you need it so bad?"

"That stuff can give the most incredible high you wouldn't believe." Jeffery answered. "It gives you such great feelings that it makes all your pain and all your worries dis…appear…" After trailing off, the young man put a hand on his forehead and shakes his head. "What a minute, what am I doing talking to a hallucination?"

"Actually we're not hallucinations." Donatello replied as he tried to get the young man to lie back down on the bed. "Now tonight is going to be a long night, so why don't you just relax and…"

"What are you talking about not being a hallucination?" Jeffery shouted while trying to push Don away from himself. "There is no way in he…"

"Shell." Donatello censored.

That caught Jeffery by surprise and he stops struggling for a moment. "Um…right." He cleared his throat and resumes fighting with Don. "Anyway, there is now way in…um…shell that anything like you could ever exist. You have to be a hallucination."

With a strong shove to the shoulders, Donatello manages to pin Jeffery down on the bed. "Can a hallucination do this?" He asked irritably. "Now do you think you could be a good little drug addict and calm down?"

Seeing as Don was clearly stronger than himself, Jeffery let his arms go limp and starts to breathe heavy with fright. "Then…then what are you and…and why am I here?"

"We're Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." Michelangelo announced proudly.

"Mutant…Turtles?" Jeffery gulped.

Realizing that Jeffery was quite scared now, Donatello releases him. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you." He told the young man calmly as he sat down on the side of the bed.

Michelangelo plopped down on the bed near Jeffery's legs. "Yeah, we're going to take good care of you."

Jeffery sat back up and glared at the two turtles. "Take care of me!" He put fingers on his temples and began to massage them like he had a headache.

Donatello handed Mike the bowl of water with the rag already in it. "It's going to be ok." He soothed and he reached out to take hold of the young man's wrist. "You're in good hands."

Jeffery saw Don reaching out to him and he murmurs, "In…good…hands…" His face screwed up like something triggered in his mind. "NO!" The young man shouted as swatted Don's hands away from him. "No more. No more shock therapy. No more water therapy…" He kicked the bowl that Mike had, making water fly all over the place. "No more." Jeffery cried as he scooted away from the two turtles. "I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy." He moaned repeatedly and continues to scoot, until he reached the upper end of the bed and he falls off. After tumbling down from the high platform the bed was on, Jeffery landed on his back and curls up into the fetal position.

At first Mike and Don were frozen to spot where they sat. Never had they seen such a thing happen in real life. Once he found the ability to move, Michelangelo jumped down from his bed and lands in front of Jeffery; who was now sobbing hysterically.

"Dude…?"

Jeffery stopped sobbing to look up at the turtle that now seem to tower over him. "I'm sorry mommy, I'm sorry." He whimpered as he sat up on his rear and puts his hands up in defense. "Please don't hurt me, please. I didn't mean to question you." Jeffery scrambled to his feet and backs away from Mike until his back was up against the wall. "I learned in school that mixing alcohol and pills would kill you." He slid down the wall until he was his knees were pressed to his chest and he covers his head. "Please don't hurt me. I just don't want you to die."

Michelangelo rushed over to the panicked young man and kneels in front of him. "Jeffery..." He whispered as he tries to pull Jeffery into a hug. "It's ok, it's ok."

Jeffery shoved Mike away. "Don't touch me." He shouted. "I don't need you and you're stupid psychico babble." He threw a punch at Mike, but the turtle dodges it easy. "You can take your psychiatry certificates and your medical diplomas and your doctrines and shove them where the sun don't shine." He threw another punch and this time Mike jumps away from him. "Dad drinks all the time, mom pops pills, and I'm the one treated like I have some kind of problem." The young man jumped to his feet and puts his hands up like he was ready to box. "What kind of messed up world is this?"

Not wishing to fight, Michelangelo backed away until his shell was up against the platform his bed was on. "Donnie, what's going on?" He asked as he looked up at his elder brother. "Why is he acting this way?"

"He's hallucinating now." Donatello answered as he jumped down next to Mike. "He must be suffering from the lack of drugs and alcohol in his system."

"You mean he's suffering from withdraw?" Michelangelo asked.

"Yes." Donatello nodded. "Apparently what he is hallucinating about is what has happened to him."

"I told you, I don't need to go to no stinking rehab." Jeffery yelled as he advanced towards the two turtles. "I told you that my mother and father had both been addicts and nothing bad ever happen to them while poppin' pills and tipping bottles." He started throwing punches as them. "So what's the big deal about me getting all cleaned up? I like what I've become. I like forgetting what as happened. I don't wanna remember nothing."

"Ok, you know what?" Donatello jumped over the young man and lands behind him. "I know you got problems, but I'm tired and I'm not really in the mood to fight." He grabbed Jeffery from behind, pinning the guy's arms to the sides. "So why don't you just calm down."

Jeffery tried to head-butt Don. "Let go of me. I won't let you stick those electrodes on me again, do you hear?" He started jumping about, making it hard for Don to keep a good hold on him.

"I'd really wish he'd stick to one time in his life." Michelangelo complained. "I'm getting tired of trying to figure him out."

"How about you stop trying to figure him out and give me a hand." Donatello ordered. "Why don't you grab his legs? If we pin him down, he might wear out and calm down."

Mike tried to reach for Jeffery's legs, but the young gives a sharp kick to Mike's chest and the young turtle flies back. "I said 'Let go of me.'" When Mike hit the platform with a loud slam, Jeffery suddenly stopped struggling. "What was that?" He turned his head about in all directions. "Did you hear that?"

"What is it?" Michelangelo groaned as he rubbed the spot that was just kicked.

"Sirens." Jeffery whispered. "We got to get out of here. Come on Dragons, let's grab what we got and get back to base." He tried to run, but found that he was restrained. "What is this?" Jeffery tried to pull free. "Hey, this isn't a fair." Now he seemed to be yelling at thin air. "You guys can't leave me like this. I packed full of contrabands that will get me sent up state for years." In a desperate attempt to get free, he slammed a foot towards the ground and stomps on Don's foot in the process.

"Gaaaaa!" Donatello cried as he let go of Jeffery and grabbed his throbbing foot. He began jumping about as the pain continues to pump through it.

"So that's it." Jeffery snarled as he turns around. "It was all a big set up." Looking around the room, he spied a baseball bat on the floor and snatches it up. "I thought the Purple Dragons were one big family, but I guess I found out that that's all just lousy rumors." He raised the bat above his head. "You guys just go out and prey on the lonely and disregarded. Well, I'll teach you to mess with a person's mind." Jeffery went to bring the bat down on Don, but finds that he could not. The bat is yanked out of his hands as a hand lands on his shoulder and he was spun around to be facing Mike once more. "You want a piece of this too?"

(SMACK!) Michelangelo backhands the young man, hard. "Snap out of it." He threw the bat to one side and grabs Jeffery's shoulders. "You're in pain, I can see that, but we can help you if you let us."

Due to the slap, Jeffery was stunned a little. He stares blankly at Mike while a small trickle of blood comes from the corner of his mouth and dribbles down the side of his beard. "Who…who are you again?"

"Michel…" Michelangelo hesitated for a moment. "Shellington."

"Shellington?" Jeffery whispered. "No…no." He shut his eyes. "Shellington was one of my pet turtles, but he and his brothers are dead." His legs buckled and Mike loses grip of the shoulder as the young man falls to the floor on his knees. "And it's my fault." He sobbed. "I saw the truck and then the man and then the other man…I should have seen the container coming…I should have…"

"Accidents…" Michelangelo kneed down in front of Jeffery and manages to finally pull the young man into hug he attempted earlier. "Accidents happen. Nobody could foresee what was going to happen."

Jeffery buried his face into Mike's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He cried.

"It'll be ok." Michelangelo said as he smoothed Jeffery's hair. "It'll be ok."

Donatello cleared his throat. "(Ahem) Seeing as you now have everything under control, I'm going to go get some ice for my foot." He limped over to the door and before going out, says, "If you need anything, just give a shout." As he closed the door behind him, Don shook his head.

The chimes of an antique cuckoo clock that hung somewhere in the lair gave the hour to be six.

"Gads what a night this has been." Donatello sighed.

"Do tell."

Donatello looked up to have his eyes meet three pairs of glaring ones. Standing before him was Leo, Raph, and Master Splinter. Their arms were cross and discontent was plastered on their faces.

"Oh shell…"


A/N: Seeing as I've never done drugs before, I wouldn't know what going through withdraw would be like, so I did the best that I could with the imagination I got.
As I think about things, I really should stop beating round the bush and dropping little tidbits about Jeffery's past. Perhaps
I should finally give the background next chapter...maybe?
Anyway, thanks for reading and reviews (very encouraging by the way), until next time.