A/N: I know it's short, but this isn't supposed to be a very long story…I don't want to drag it out more than I need to.

…..

Raph sat on his bed, clutching the bear he had found in the night. His punishment was restriction to his room for the day, except for meals and practice. It didn't bother him though – he had been out at four in the morning. Being restricted to his room meant that he could sleep for as long as he wanted. He turned the bear over once more to read the name written on the tag, then dropped it on the floor and scrambled under the covers, ready to forget about the strange happenings for now and catch up on his sleep.

…..

Splinter was worried. Perhaps he had made a wrong decision, not telling his sons all the reasons why he did not want them playing in certain areas of the sewers without his supervision or knowledge. But he had not wanted to frighten them, just make them wary of dangerous areas. He could not lose another one…

The old rat frowned. Maybe it was time to tell them. But then there was Raphael. Splinter had a feeling that his rebellious son knew something was amiss. Splinter had wanted to take away the bear Raphael had found, but he knew that would seem especially odd. If his sons were to know the truth, he wanted them to hear it from him. Splinter walked to a small box and lifted out a very old picture. Yes. It would be prudent to tell them soon.

….

"Hey Raph?"

Raph peeked out from under his covers to see Leo's face peeking through the door. Raph groaned and replaced the blanket so his own face was hidden from his brother. "Go away Leo, I'm sleepin'."

Not one to be deterred, Leo came in all the way and climbed onto Raph's bed, pulling the covers off him. Raph sat up and glared at him. "Whaddya want?"

"Why'd you go out last night?"

"None of your business."

"Did you really hear somebody yesterday?"

"You didn't believe me yesterday. Why are you now?"

Leo raised an eyeridge. "I don't think you would wander around in the sewers by yourself at four in the morning for nothing."

Raph stared at his brother for a long time. They didn't get along very well sometimes, but Leo seemed sincere now. "Can you keep a secret?" Leo nodded.

Raph leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled the bear out from under it. He handed it to Leo, who looked at the tag. "Michelangelo?"

The brothers exchanged glances. They were both thinking the same thing. Each of them had a different stuffed animal they had had since they could remember. And each of the animals had their names written on the tags in Splinter's handwriting. Just like the bear.

"I think there's something Splinter didn't tell us." Raph admitted.

Leo didn't want to think Splinter had lied to them, but all the evidence was pointing that way. "We should figure out what it is."

Raph nodded. "Let's get Donnie."

….

"Is this where you found it?"

The three brothers were back in the sewers, standing in the same spot Raph had been in the previous night.

"Yeah," Raph said, "Right before Splinter came."

"What makes you think he'll even come back?" Leo wanted to know.

"'Cause we got this." Raph said, holding up the bear. "I know it's his. Now shut up."

The turtles waited in silence for the voice to return.

….

Splinter took a deep breath, then stepped out of his room. It was time. He would tell them. He would. He would. Maybe they weren't ready…they ARE, he reasoned with himself, It has been too long already. They are only children for a little while longer. They can handle it.

Splinter came to his sons' room and knocked on the door. He knew they would all be in there – they had a tendency to keep each other company when one was restricted, ignoring all his protests that the one being punished should be left alone.

However when no answer came, Splinter pushed the door open, a bit worried. The sight that greeted him nearly gave him a heart attack. There were no turtles to be seen. Not even Leonardo. The only remnants left of any living creature at all were the rumpled blankets on Raphael's bed.

Splinter let loose every colorful word he knew in both English and Japanese. He knew exactly where his sons had gone. Forgetting his previous worries, he rushed out into the sewers to retrieve his errant sons.

…..

"Give it back!"

Raph jumped up, closely followed by his brothers. "It's him! It's him!"

"Yeah it's me!" The voice said exasperatedly, "Now give me back Eugene!"

Raph blinked. "Eugene?"

"My bear!" The voice protested.

"How do we know it's yours?" Don asked, feeling silly talking to thin air.

"I just know it's mine." The voice retorted.

"But you can't remember your name." Raph said.

"So?"

"There's a name on the tag. Michelangelo."

The voice was silent for a long time, and Raph thought he might have scared him off. Then it came back, "It sounds really familiar. But I know that bear is mine!"

"How?" Leo demanded.

"See his nose?"

The three turtles looked at the bear. The nose indeed was gone.

"I remember when I was alive I bit it off."

Raph laughed. "Yeah right."

"No, wait." Don interrupted, taking the bear from Raph and looking closely at where the nose should have been. "Those really are bite marks."

"Do you remember anything else about being alive?" Leo asked.

"I remember…being warm and comfortable, with…with…I can't remember, I think there were more kids in the bed with me."

"What else?" Don inquired, but nobody answered. The voice had disappeared.

Suddenly an irate Splinter came around the corner. "I cannot believe you three are out here! Especially you, Raphael! I would think you have learned your lesson! You three are in deep trouble…you will sit quietly in your room until I have calmed enough to think of a suitable punishment! Come along!"

The three chastised children followed their father, all thinking very hard. Raph held onto the bear harder.