Holly left the lair at close to six-thirty the next morning. She needed to be at the school to find out what was going on, and what Carol was going to do or say about the incident. She left a note for the others to let them know where she was and brewed enough coffee and tea to keep everyone happy for the morning.

April woke much later than she intended. She could hear the rest of the guys bustling in the kitchen eating breakfast and chatting. Donatello was sitting with a large mug of coffee looking groggy.

"Have you slept yet?" April asked Donnie as she sat next to him on one of the stools.

"No, Holly was up quite late with me working on more of the files but she fell asleep eventually. Something must have annoyed her to stay up as late as she did?" Everyone eyed Raph, who just pretended not to notice.

"Well, at least she got some sleep," April said. "What's the plan for today?"

"We should all probably do some training this morning." Leo announced, "Donnie maybe you should get some sleep."

"I can take a couple of hour cat nap and be ready to go." Donnie yawned.

"I would really like to run home to grab some stuff," April admitted.

"No way," Leo and Donnie said together.
"You can't go home alone. What if the Krang find you?" Donnie said.

"How about I make sure my aunt is home and she can give me a ride back here?" April suggested.

"No". Came the same response.

"I need clothes, guys. Among other things." April said.

"You'll have to send a list to Holly, she can pick it up for you on her way back," Leo said, before turning away to clean up after himself.

"This blows." She sulked.

"Welcome to our world," Mikey said, and April felt a stab of guilt in her gut.

April spent the rest of the morning working on her classwork, she had her book bag and a computer that she could submit her classwork on while Donnie slept. She had tried to text Holly to find out what was going on at the school but had not gotten any responses from her yet.

April then decided to walk around the lair to alleviate her boredom. Mikey had a set of headphones on and was dancing away by himself. Raphael was halfheartedly throwing punches at one of the punching bags that hung in a corner of the lair. Leonardo was taking full advantage of having the TV to himself to watch his favorite show in peace.

"How did you guys stay sane down here for so long?" April wondered aloud.

"Some of us didn't," Raph replied, pointing at Mikey.

"I'm being serious," April said.

"So am I" Raph looked at her. April rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a little different for us," Leo said without turning away from his show. "We grew up down here, and have only been allowed to the surface for a little over a year."
"I miss the sun." April said.

"The other day when we helped you at the school was the first time we've ever seen the sun." Leo said.

"Gees, OK! I get it" April gave up. "I won't complain anymore."

"You could always get in an extra hour or two of training," Leo offered hopefully, dragging his gaze away from his show to see her reaction.

"Sure, It'll kill some time anyway." April stood and Leo immediately shut off Space Adventurer to join her.

Holly got back to the lair later in the afternoon with bags of stuff weighing her down. She had stopped off at Carols place to grab a couple of changes of clothes for April, along with some other things she had requested. Her own bag full of school work, and a few bags of groceries for the guys.

She struggled to get it all through the turn-styles, "Little help!" She yelled into the lair as one of the bags ripped open, spilling the contents all over the floor. "Great."

"Why didn't you call us to come and help you?" April asked as she and Donnie appeared to help her grab the bags.

"I don't know, I wasn't thinking," Holly said, she blew a strand of hair out of her eyes that had escaped her loose bun. "It's been a rough day." She admitted as she deposited all the stuff she had on the floor.

"How come?" April asked, a frown wrinkling her brow.

"When I got to the school Carol was there making trouble for the assistant principal, she had a couple of actual police officers with her and as soon as she saw me she called me over and I had to spend the whole day going over all the details with the cops and the school." Holly dumped a bag of groceries on the kitchen table. "Oh and I barely slept last night and didn't get to eat lunch so I am not in the best mood." She snatched up an apple and bit viciously into it.

"You remembered not to mention us, right?" Leo asked, completely misreading Holly's temper.

She glared at him, "No Leo, I told them all about you and where to find you. Gah!" She took another angry bite of the apple, snatched up a sandwich she had brought, and stomped off to find somewhere to have a minute of peace.

"Yikes, let's give her a few moments." April offered. She began putting away the food Holly had brought.

"I think she's been working too much." Donnie said, "She got through a lot of the files last night."

April bit her lip, guiltily. "Yeah, I should be more involved with that."
"No, you don't have to worry about it. I can do it all!" Donnie blurted out

"Neither of you can do it alone," April said, "and you shouldn't have to."

"We do rely on you guys an awful lot for this sort of thing," Leo admitted.

"It's fine for me! I enjoy doing it" Donnie tried to pacify Leo and April's guilt.

"Yeah, but we have the free time." Leo said, "You two don't." He looked at April who shrugged.

"You guys are always putting our issues before your own, even before your own safety," Donnie said quietly, as though he had been wanting to say it for a while now.

April looked up into his big brown eyes, "Of course we do! We love you guys, and we want to help you out as much as we can."

"You shouldn't have to do that either, we can take care of ourselves," Leo said.

"I know that," April said with a laugh, "but you guys are our best friends. We're not going to let you take care of yourselves."

"Maybe we all need to be a bit more conscious of everyone's needs," Donnie said with a little single shoulder shrug.

"That sounds very wise my son." Splinter said as he came into the kitchen. He beamed at his kids as he saw how much they were growing as people. "You are correct to recognize that you all make sacrifices for each other, that is part of having friends and family that you care about."

"And right now you're sacrificing your quiet space so Holly can blow off some steam," Leo noted as music could be heard coming from the training room.

"Exactly," Splinter acknowledged, "plus she is quite crabby and I don't want to get on the wrong side of that." Donnie and Leo groaned.

April laughed, "Did you just make a joke?"

"I can be quite humorous when it pleases me." Splinter smiled to himself. "Would you please put on the kettle, I believe some soothing tea will be needed soon."

Mikey and Raph soon joined the others in the kitchen, they were both getting hungry and had come in search of some dinner. Splinter heated up some broth and rice noodles that Holly had brought earlier into easy ramen. He added some onion, sliced ham, and chopped up some cabbage and mushroom for the kids to add as they pleased.

"It has been quite a while since I cooked anything," He admitted to them, "I hope it tastes alright."

No one answered properly, they were all slurping down the noodles and mumbling their approval to form actual words. "I still got it." He said to himself, then ate a little more delicately than the teens.

"Should I go get Holly?" Leo asked through a mouthful of mushroom. "It'll go cold."

"I'll go, I should probably apologize for my aunt anyway," April said and set aside her bowl.

April hurried across the lair on her tiptoes and slid open the door to the training room. She peeked her head in to see Holly laying on her back in the middle of the room with her phone next to her playing some pop hit through the speaker. "Holly?" April called softly. She walked into the room to see Holly was breathing gently and her eyes were closed. "Are you asleep?" April sat on the floor next to her friend and gently shook her shoulder.

Holly groaned, "Wha- time's it?" She didn't even open her eyes.

"I don't know, but there is some warm food in the kitchen if you want it?" April said hoping it could tempt Holly.

Holly opened one eye a crack. "I hope I didn't mess anything up."

April frowned, "Like what?"

"At the school," Holly kneaded her eyes with her knuckles, "I don't know if I kept the story straight. Or if they even believed me about anything I said."

"Oh," April nodded slowly, "Was my aunt going crazy?"

"Yeah." Holly said, "I told her you were safe, but she kept asking if you were at my apartment. I didn't want to lie to her so I just kept trying to deflect."

"She hasn't tried calling me yet," April said, suddenly feeling worried about her aunt. "Isn't your mom supposed to be home soon?"

"Her flight lands this evening, but it will take her a while to get back to the apartment. Customs is a bitch." Holly held a hand out to April who helped her to sit up.

"I'll try to call my aunt to see what is going on, and we can go back to your apartment if it makes you feel less guilty."

"It's not you I'm worried about," Holly admitted. "The cops wanted to go over and over the details, they weren't interrogating me or anything, but I can't remember everything I said and I'm worried I messed up. It was stressful."

"You should have asked for a lawyer," April said half-jokingly.

"Carol and the assistant principal were there the whole time, even the superintendent showed up to make sure that the police were behaving appropriately." Holly sighed, "it was a long day."

"Come on, come get something warm to eat, and you can have another nap while I make some calls." April jumped up and dragged Holly to her feet. "I'm sure everything is fine."

April called her aunt once everyone had eaten and Holly was dozing on the couch. The phone rang a couple of times before Carol answered it. "April where are you?"

"What do you mean? I'm with Holly." April said slightly taken aback.

"Then why wouldn't she answer me when I asked her if you were at her house?" Carol was clearly stressed out too.

"Alright, I'll tell you. I wasn't at her house today, I was hanging out with some mutual friends who could keep an eye on me, and she didn't want to lie to you about that."

"Who are these friends? Are they the same ones you study with? Why weren't they at school?" Carol was quite frustrated with her niece.

"Yes it's the same friends, and they don't go to my school, they're homeschooled." Leo and Raph were listening closely to the conversation, and April was quite impressed with her ability to fudge the truth on the spot.
"April, I am not comfortable with all of this. I don't know how I can keep you safe if I don't know what is going on." Carol sounded exasperated.

"It's really complicated." Was all April could say as she looked at her friends.

"Whatever is going on, it's getting really serious. The people who took your father are now coming after you at school.

"I know." April felt ashamed that she had to keep her aunt in the dark.

"The cops have no idea what is going on, they knew of the missing peoples' cases on the scientists, but no one seemed to know who was working on the cases." Carol was starting to sniff between sentences.

"Do you want me to come home?" April asked.

"I don't know what to do anymore." Carol finally admitted to her niece. "I don't know if you're safe here, or at school. I don't know if they're ever going to find Kirby."

"Why don't I get a lift home, we can just hang out and you'll know where I am and what I'm doing. I think it's just been a lot for you today." April heard Carol blow her nose through the phone.

"I think I would like that. How is Holly, she seemed pretty stressed out too?" Carol took a deep breath.
"She is feeling about the same as you are." April looked over at Holly, curled up on the couch under a fleece blanket.

"I know, she looked a little frazzled by the end of the day." Carol sounded calmer again. "Do you want me to come and get you from your mutual friends' house?"

"No, I'll have them drive me home. But it'll be just after dark, their dad doesn't get home until then." April added hurriedly.

"OK, be safe. I love you". Carol said

"I will, I promise," April said.

"Is everything OK?" Donnie asked as April sighed to herself.

"I think my aunt is a bit shaken up. I think all the drama of dad going missing, and all the attacks on people we know is getting to her." April took another deep breath and leaned back in the chair. "Can you blame her though?"

"Probably not, the various groups in the city do seem to be getting more active." He agreed.

"We need to get into that Technodrome and shut it down," Leo added.

"How? That thing is buried under a military base, or did you forget?" Mikey interjected.

"There will be a way, there's always a way," Leo said, trying to sound cool.

"Yeah, April and Holly found the way. Through the recycling plant." Raph said sarcastically.

"I know that" Leo replied irritably.

"Then why use the corny lines?" Raph snapped back accusingly. Leo took a breath to respond, but Holly mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over, cutting their argument short.

"We should head there tonight," Donnie whispered, "we can drop you guys off on the way."

"If Holly wakes up. I can let her mom know that she's been here if she doesn't though." April offered.

"You don't need to do that. I can do that." Raph spluttered out.

"You would call Holly's mom?" April looked disbelievingly at him, "and actually talk to her?"

"Yeah, no big deal." He shrugged nonchalantly, but the nervous darting of his green eyes gave him away.

"Do it then," April called his bluff. "Call her now."

"What?" All the bravado left his entire being. The others all turned on him with smug smiles, they rarely got to watch Raph squirm, so this would be thoroughly enjoyable.

"Call her." April pulled out her phone and held it out to Raph. "Unless you're scared."

"I'm not scared of anything," Raph puffed up his chest defensively. But he didn't move to take the phone.

"Then you won't mind if I pull up Stacey's number in my phone then?" April started tapping buttons on her phone.

"Nope." He said. Mikey was snickering now, just waiting for Raph to crack.

"Should I video call her?" April asked the group with a sudden flash of malicious ingenuity.

"Oh my gosh, yes please." Donnie smiled at the thought.

"That wasn't part of the deal!" Raph hissed. He checked over his shoulder at Holly to see if she was awake yet.

"Oh, she can't help you now," April said wickedly and pressed the call button. The phone rang in the silence of the lair. Raph held his breath while the others watched him sweat.

Mercifully, Stacey didn't answer. But a few minutes later a message came through. I'll call you in a while, still trying to get back home from the airport.

"You got lucky," April said, and Raph almost collapsed with relief. Leo and Mikey laughed but clapped their brother on the shell to let him know they felt for him. "Why does Stacey freak you out, anyway?"

"She doesn't!" Raph protested, but April and Donnie both gave him a skeptical look. "I'm worried she won't like me." April and Donnie raised their eyebrows at him. Raphs eye twitched irritably, " Fine, I'm worried she won't approve of me dating Holly." His sentence trailed into a mumble and he looked at Aprils' feet to avoid eye contact.

"Aw, dude," Mikey said and gave his brother a hug. "You've got nothing to worry about." Raph did not reciprocate the affection, but he also didn't push his baby brother away.

"Yeah, you're not so bad once you get past all the sulking and shouting." April confirmed.

"Gee, thanks," Raph said with notable sarcasm.

"Is that why you want to talk to her? To try and get in her good books?" Donnie grinned knowingly at Raph, who in turn rolled his eyes and shook himself loose of Mikey, who had not let him go yet.

"I don't know, can you have an actual conversation with people?" Leo asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raph asked hotly.

"I mean like right now. You're already mad at me for asking a valid question." Leo replied condescendingly.

"I'm only mad at you because you can be a grade 'A' jerk." Raph hissed back.

"Guys, perhaps we should focus on getting ready for tonight." Donnie offered before things escalated any further.

Raph took a deep breath through his nose and cracked his neck, "That sounds great, I'm going to go pack some gear before Stacey calls us back." He turned on his heel and stomped off, obviously still fuming.

"Why do you have to do that?" Donnie asked Leo exasperatedly.

"What?" Leonardo asked with open palms. "It's the truth."

"Yeah, but you don't always have to point it out," Mikey said disappointedly. He turned and powered up a games console, making sure to turn the volume down so he didn't disturb Holly, and plopped down to a racing game. Donnie and April walked off towards the lab to see what else the guys might be able to use to get into the Technodrome, leaving Leo alone who was feeling a little sheepish at his petty stab at Raph's ego.

An hour passed, and Raph had calmed down enough to make his way back out to sit by Holly and watch Mikey play his game. He hadn't really found anything he needed to bring, that was usually Donnie's department, but he did have an extra utility belt with some extra shuriken, and a few of the smoke bombs that Donnie had made ages ago.

He hovered in the open area between the kitchen and the sofas, not really sure where he wanted to be when Mikey spoke up, "You know, Leo can be a real jerk sometimes."

Raph didn't say anything, but went and sat on the couch near Holly.

"I know you're not the most talkative, but you still know how to communicate what you need to, when you need to." Mikey continued without looking away from his game. "You just need a little more practice at saying it out loud."

Raph smiled at the back of Mikeys' head. "It's not so easy for me."

"I know," Mikey glanced over his shoulder to see if he needed to dodge anything, just in case.

"Thanks, Mikey," Raph said gruffly. Mikey just turned back to his game.

April stuck her head out of the Lob and hissed for Raph. When he turned, she was waving her phone at him. "Do you want to take this?" She offered him. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Raph paled a little, but sucked in a breath and stood up. April answered the call as he was coming over to her and handed the phone to him with a "Here's Raph". She nodded at him encouragingly before turning back into the Lab to give him some space.

"Hello?" He started uncertainly.

"Well hi!" Stacey said sounding genuinely thrilled. Raphs anxiety immediately skyrocketed. "How are you guys doing? How's Holly?" She continued.

"Good, Good." Raph gulped, but his throat was dry. "She's good."

"Good, thank you for letting her stay with you while I was gone. I felt much better about leaving knowing she would be safe with you guys."

"It's not a problem." Raph croaked.

"Is she around? How come she didn't call me?" Stacey sounded a little downcast.

"She's asleep." Raph replied, she paused waiting for him to continue. "She's been working really hard helping us."

Stacey sighed, "She always does. Has she been up all hours researching something or other?"

"Something like that." Raph admitted. There was no reply, and Raph was worried the call had dropped.

Finally, Stacey spoke again. "At least she has you guys to remind her to have fun every now and then." It was Raphs turn to remain silent. Its not like they had that much time for fun these days. "Well," Stacey concluded, "Let her sleep. Have her call me when she's awake and if its tomorrow, that's just fine."

"OK."

"Take care of her for me?"

"I will," Raph said.

"It was nice to talk to you," Stacey said with feeling.

"Yeah," Raph felt so awkward.

"I'll see you soon, Bye."

"Bye," Raph said and hung up. He was overwhelmed with how nerve-racking that had been. Had he even said anything really worthwhile? He made his way over to the lab to give April back her phone. She almost fell through the door when he opened it.

"So, how did it go?" She asked trying to look innocent. It wasn't working.

"Uhh, I don't know," Raph said handing her phone back.

"Well, you spoke to her right? That's a start!" April was already texting someone as sneakily as she could. He suspected it was Stacey, but didn't have the energy to be annoyed. He was trying to remember what he had said.

"I guess."

"I'm sure you did fine," April said, "Besides, Stacey is the nicest adult I've ever met. You'd have to do something pretty spectacular to get on her bad side."
Raph frowned, not liking the insinuations. He turned and went back to the couch where Holly was still out cold. He gathered her up in his arms and took her to his room. He scribbled a note letting her know where they were, and that she needed to call her mom, before going back out to Mikey. Donnie and April were there now too, they had packed the Shellraiser with Donnie's gadgets and were just waiting for nightfall, and Leo, to set off.