Chapter 2: Out Voted

"I'll find you, Madison," a sneering vile voice sliced through Madison's dream world like a knife. "I'll find you all."

Madison stirred from her sleep. Swirls of very distant laughter helped her out of her dream world. It had been pleasant up till that cold voice but she knew that she had to wake up and get the kids movin… THE KIDS! Madison's eyes flew open and, suddenly remembered what had happened, she shot up from a well worn couch but fell back into the pillow just as quickly when agonizing pain shot through her head and down her spin, spreading through her body like wild fire. She let out a cry, not of agony exactly, but of annoyance at her stupidity. Her eyes and teeth clenched together as she hissed in pain. She couldn't even fully open one of her eyes anyways.

"Not the best idea," said a soft voice next to her. Madison felt a wet cloth pat her fore head; the cool dampness pressed up against the white hot pain in her fore head felt wonderful. "You took one hell of a beating up there."

"My brothers and sisters," she murmured. "I have to find…"

"Don't worry about them, Madison, they're fine," the voice said. "Mikey has been keeping them entertained."

Madison's eyes opened again the best they could be, and stared at the arm that was attached to the wash cloth. The arm attached to the cloth happened to be attached to a large green creature wearing a purple bandana. Madison's mouth drop and she shot off the couch like a fire cracker, ignoring the white hot pain surging through her body again.

"Who the hell are you?" she shirked. "What the hell are you!"

" Madison, you might wanna…OWW!" the purple bandana creature drew back when Madison landed a hard punch to his face. "What was that for?"

"Where are they!"

" Madison, they…"

"And how do you know my name!"

" Madison, you really should lie back down, you have a minor concussion so you're gonna be prone to…" the thing caught Madison mere seconds before she hit the ground. "Having dizzy spells."

"Where am I?" she asked, suddenly feeling very weak again from her adrenalin being spent so quickly. The creature laid her back down on the couch and reapplied the damp cloth. "Where are my brothers and sisters?"

"You're in our home, and when I say 'our' I mean my brothers, master and I," he said. "And you're brothers and sisters are fine, they are in the other room."

"But I thought…Someone told me…"

"They're fine, we heard what that purple dragon said and it's not true," he replied. "We're not like that."

"Who is 'we'?" Madison asked. "Forgive me for staring but…"

"Don't sweat it, we get it a lot," the creature chuckled. "My name is Donatello, and if you really can't figure it out, I'm a turtle."

"A turtle?" she half chuckled. "I must of have been hit harder than I thought."

"Yeah you were hit pretty hard but I'm not an illusion," Don said, dipping the cloth back into his basin of cold water, wringing it out and putting it back on her head. "I'm as real as you are."

"Ok, so you're real, you said you had…brothers?"

"If you're asking what I think you're asking, yeah they're turtles too," he chuckled. "Our sensei however is a rat."

"He's a liar?"

"No, literally, he is a rat," Don laughed.

"Nice," Madison rolled her eyes in her swollen sockets. "So my family is ok? How long have I been out?"

"Yes, Madison, for the final time they are fine," he said. "And you've been outta commission for at least a day."

"I have to find Molly," Madison swatted Donny and his wash cloth away and pushed herself off the couch. "Aw crap that hurts… She needs her…"

"Medicine?" Don said, trying to gently push Madison back down. "Your brother took care of that, don't worry. You are the one who needs the medicine."

"Get out of my way," she growled.

"You should just lie back down, you need rest."

"Move," Madison glared at him venomously.

Donny sighed in defeat, "If you are so determined to see for yourself at least let me help you."

"Fine."

"Just don't hit me again," Donatello said rubbing his cheek that she had landed a pretty solid punch on.

"Sorry, reflex."

Donny chuckled softly as he put the cloth down and helped Madison completely stand and steady herself. They slowly made their way out of the crude living room into an even cruder kitchen on the other side of the gymnasium sized room. Madison breathed a sigh of relief to see all four of her siblings sitting around a table. Molly reclined on Peter's lap while Kaylin cradled a wide eyed Brian in her arms. Madison chuckled at the sight of their fascination with another turtle in an orange bandana doing what looked like an attempt bake cookies and make Brian laugh at the same time. He was succeeding in not only in making Brian laugh but the other children too, well actually Molly was just smiling; she doesn't laugh. There was another turtle that was leaned up against a wall laughing at his brother; the leaning turtle's bandana was blue. Madison was scanning the kitchen that looked like it had been hit with a bomb of cookie dough when the orange turtle noticed Don and Madison standing in the door way and stopped. The blue bandana turtle fallowed his gaze and smiled at them.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Dudette!" the orange one smiled.

In unison all of the children turned around to face Madison. Molly flew off Peter's lap and threw her arms around her waist, nearly knocking Madison over. Peter and Kaylin quickly fallowed with Brian. Madison took careful time to thoroughly look over each child before throwing her arms around them and kissing them. Molly stayed glued to her waist.

"Are you guys ok?" she asked, cupping Peter's face. "What happened?"

"Well awhile after you left those guys showed up and tried to take our money," Kaylin said, rocking Brian back and forth. "Peter tried making them go away but they pushed him down and tried to grab our stuff. Well then Mikey and his brothers showed up, kicked the crap out of 'em and brought us down here to keep us safe until you came back."

"Well I'm back now; we don't need to impose anymore on these….er…people?" Madison blushed apologetically to Don and the blue clad turtle.

"You are not imposing on anything," Don said. "And going anywhere, other than back to bed, in your state would not fall under the category of smart."

" Madison, I am gonna have to go with the green dude on this one," Peter said.

"'Dude'?" Madison looked at her brother with a humored expression. "Since when have you started using the word 'dude'?"

"Since I met Mikey here," he smiled, slapping the turtle on the back that'd joined their group. Madison arched an eyebrow at the turtle named Mikey who just grinned at her. Her brother had not smiled in awhile like that, and she hadn't heard him seriously laugh in even longer.

The blue bandana turtle shoved off the wall and held out his three fingered hand to Madison, "Leonardo," he smiled as Madison hesitantly shook it. "You all should at least stay until you're better. Master Splinter already said that you are welcome to stay as long as you like."

"Master Splinter?"

"Our sensei," said Don.

"Oh, yeah, him."

"Even Molly likes him!" Peter exclaimed. "You know we're okay if Molly likes 'em!"

Madison nodded subconsciously. Molly didn't like anyone outside of the five of them and was usually terrified of strangers. If she felt safe here there was no doubt in her mind that it was.

"Besides, we took a vote," Kaylin chirped. "Four to one, you're out voted."

Madison sighed in defeat and nodded, "Alright, we'll stay," she was cut off by whoops and cheers from the kids and Mikey. Even Molly smiled. "BUT it's only until I'm better then we are outta here. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Ok than," Madison, closed her eyes and sighed slowly remembering something. "Did you…save any of our bags?"

"It's all here," Peter said, "Even the groceries you brought back before you were attacked. Did you need something?"

"Molly had her medication?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Ok, then grab me the duffle would ya?"

"Sure," Peter disappeared from the kitchen.

"Ok, satisfied now? Back to bed," Don said taking her arm. "Whatever you need outta that bag, you can get lying down."

Madison didn't have the strength to object and allowed Donatello and Leonardo to help her back to the living room with Kaylin and Molly following them. Molly sat on the floor next to Madison's head. Kaylin made her self comfortable in a beaten up lazy boy recliner, Brian nestled in her lap. Don re-covered her with a blanket and brought out another pillow.

"Thank you," she said. "Donatello was it?"

"Call me 'Don' and it's no problem," he smiled at her. His brown eyes shifted to the little girl at Madison's head. "Is she really shy? She hasn't said a word since they came here."

"Um…well…" Madison wasn't sure if she wanted to explain.

"Molly doesn't talk to anyone," piped Kaylin, ignoring the glare Madison was shooting her. "Not even us."

"How come?" Mikey asked emerging from the kitchen with a tray piled with a plate of cookies and several glasses of milk. He set it on the coffee table in front of Molly who immediately grabbed one.

"Because of…"

"Kaylin," Madison interrupted. "We don't need to bore them with our personal life."

"Maddy…" Kaylin shut her mouth at Madison's glare.

"Is it the same reason you have all those scars?" Don bravely asked.

Madison's heart sank into her stomach, "How do you know about those?" she asked.

"When we brought you down here you were pretty messed up," Don said very matter-o-factly. "But you were bleeding from practically everywhere and there is no way those thugs could've caused the kind of damage. Looked like you'd had most of 'em for awhile now but they probably got reopened by the group that attacked you," Trying to form words to what she knew his next question would be, Madison looked down and stroked Molly's hair gently. "What happened?"

When Madison hesitated to answer Kaylin chimed in, "It was our dad."

Mikey, Leo, and Don eyed Madison but she didn't dare meet their inquiring gaze.

"Let's just say he isn't father of the year," Kaylin said, pulling up her sleeve to reveal several bruises. " Madison usually took the bulk of it to keep us safe. Not that that stopped him from trying. Molly doesn't talk anymore because last year after our mom died he hurt her really bad. After that he left her alone for the most part. That's why we left, because he kept hurting us."

The scene was very still except for Molly munching away on the cookies acting oblivious to the conversation when Peter came bounding back into the room with the duffle bag. He noticed this tenseness and eyed his family, "What's up?"

"Oh nothing," Madison grumbled. "Kaylin is just telling our life's story to complete strangers."

"Huh?"

"About why we ran away."

"Oh, that?" Peter shrugged his shoulders. "I already told them the basic story while you were out."

"Then why ask about the scars if you already knew why they were there?" Madison asked, fixing Leo, Don, and Mikey with piecing glares.

"We've always been told it's better if the person tells it themselves that way you get the story right," Leo said, shifting uncomfortably at the look on Madison's face.

Madison rolled her eyes and took the duffle bag from Peter, who took a seat next to Molly on the floor. She unzipped the bag while looking at the watch on her arm; it was about 1 in the afternoon, "Alright guys listen up. Kaylin, it's nap time for Squirt there: his eyes are already shut. Any place to lay him down?"

"Yeah, we all slept in Leo's room last night so we can just lay him down in there."

"I take it that would be your nickname?" she asked, directing her gaze to Leonardo who nodded. "So Don, Leo, Mikey, and Splinter, right?"

"And Raphael."

"Who?"

"Our other brother."

"Oh so there are four of you guys."

"Right."

"You'll know when you met Raph," Mikey laughed. "You can't miss him for the world."

"Ooook…" Madison turned her attention back to her sister. "I want you to go lay him down in Leo, right... Leo's room, then come back here."

Kaylin nodded and disappeared for a few moments into another room; she returned shortly later and took a seat on the floor this time watching Madison dig into the bag again; groaning with Peter when Madison pulled out what looked like two school work books, "Ah, Madison! For cryin' out loud!"

Madison half laughed at their faces but said in a firm voice, "You know the drill. Five pages, front and back, completed in two hours, got it?"

"Yeah…"

"Kitchen. Table. Now."

The twins grumbled, took the books and their glasses of milk and disappeared into the kitchen. At least they could eat the rest of Mikey's fresh cookies. The brothers looked impressed at Madison's gentle yet firm and authoritative way of dealing with her younger siblings. It reminded them a lot of Master Splinter's ways. They watched as she dug into the bag once more and pulled out a worn chapter book. The Chronicles or Narnia was spelled out in golden ink across the binding. Madison patted the space next to her and Molly climbed up onto the couch and nuzzled her way into the nook of her sister's body still munching on a cookie while Madison opened the book to a marker and began reading a loud to her. "Chapter Fourteen, The Triumph of the Witch; 'As soon as the Witch had gone Aslan said, "We must move from this place…".'"

Don softly nudged Mikey and Leo in the arm and motioned for them to follow him to the lab, "Wow," he said once they were out of ear shot. "That is one heck of a family."

"No kidding," Mikey said, actually sounding serious for once. "And I don't think what Pete told us is even half the crap they've put up with."

"I think you're right," Leo said, uttering the words that he didn't think were possible to form when talking to Mikey. "Think how destroyed that little girl must be for her to not even want to talk anymore. She hasn't spoken a single word in over a year?"

"Yeah," Mikey nodded. "I think we need to talk tah Master Splinter."

"He'll be finishing his mediation in about 2 minutes," Don replied. "Raph is probably out beatin' the crap out of random thugs with Casey so we'll just fill him in when he gets back. It actually might be better that way."

"Good point."

"Not it!" Mikey exclaimed.

Don rolled his eyes, "No point beatin' 'round the bush, let's go."

"Um hey Donny…"

"What?"

"What happened to your cheek?"

"I don't wanna talk 'bout it."

"Did she…"

"Yeah."

"Wow," Leo laughed.

"Shut up, Leo," Don snapped and left the train car fallowed by Mike and Leo. They went and gently rapped on their sensei's door, entering at his command.

"What have you learned of our new guests, my sons?" the ancient one asked them.

"All they would say is that they ran away because of their father, Sensei," Leo said. "I have a feeling though that their story is much longer than that."

"The chapters in that book our young friend is reading to the child are long," the rat smiled. "You have time."

The turtles nodded.

"Donatello."

"Yes, Sensei?"

"What has happened to you cheek, my son?"

Don shot his both his snickering brothers a sharp glare.