Hey! I'm back. Hope you're all okay.

Thank you to Datninjaturtle, animifairi, BakaClara + fireworksinthenight.

I'll be honest, I'm not sure about this chapter. I had issues with phrasing and stuff.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and see chapter 1 for the disclaimer.

To say Splinter was surprised when a blue portal abruptly appeared in the living room was an understatement. His surprise lessoned when his sons quickly fell out of it one after the other, landing clumsily on the floor.

"Get your tail out my face, Raph!" Leo snapped.

"I will when you stop crushing me!"

"I think you'll find, Raphael, it's your spikes that are crushing me!"

"I can't breathe!" Mikey wailed from the bottom of the pile, at the exact same time Donnie snapped, with audible pain.

"Would you two STOP bickering and get the shell off my shell!?"

That shut Raph and Leo up rather nicely and they immediately [with a bit of manoeuvring] untangled themselves from each other before helping their respective immediate younger brothers up.

After this charade had ended Splinter [who had just been sipping his drink all the while] took the opportunity to say. "So…am I to take it the patrol went well?"

"The what?" Raph said, without thinking. Mikey quickly stamped on his oldest brothers foot, but by then the damage was done.

There Pops eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'The what?'"

Instantly all three of his brothers heads snapped to Blue, who sighed and scratched his beak. "Well you see pops…" And proceeded to launch into a brutally honest version of what had happened, but with one major change. He stated that it was his idea to raid the pharmacy; not his twin's.

As soon as he said it both Raph's and Mikey's metaphorical eyebrows shot up and although Raph managed to keep a straight face, Orange couldn't help glancing at Purple to see if he'd own up.

He didn't. Just kept his eyes stubbornly on the ground. Mikey felt a spark of annoyance; his brother could be such a coward at times it was unbelievable.

"-And then we all jumped through the portal and ended up on the floor." Mikey blinked and turned his attention back to Blue, just as he finished his tale.

"I see." Splinter stroked his chin and said. "And what about the CCTV?"

That got his sons attention and even Mikey stopped what he was thinking about to look at the old rat, dumbly.

"The CCTV?" Don parroted.

"I believe it's a camera that films events." Splinter said, dryly. "So that the police can look at them later."

Now all heads turned to Purple who gave a silent gulp and tried to fight the lump in his throat as he said. "I-I forgot…"

Splinter took a deep breath. "I see." There was another silence, then Splinter sighed. "Well. I don't suppose it's like our entire existence is a secret now. Mrs O'Neil knows. Mr Jones knows. Humanity in general knows. Maybe they will be kind to us. Some of them have been."

When he didn't get a reply, the rat said briskly. "It is late. Or very early depending on which way you wish to look at it. I suggest we all retire to bed. Needless to say, training is cancelled."

While Raph, Leo + Mikey cheered, Donnie cleared his throat. "I…think - if you don't mind - I might go to the lab. Start trying to make this medicine…"

"I would prefer it, my son, if you retired to bed." Splinter said, with gentle firmness.

The thought of bed caused a jolt of fear to go though Don's body, and he said, with a strange desperation. "Well – could I just separate the medications then? Just for a starting point?"

His brothers and Splinter looked at him strangely and Purple – realising that he was coming across rather oddly - said abruptly. "Forget it. Never mind. I'll go to bed; start working on it in the morning. Goodnight." And with that the young genius stalked off.

He could sense his family's confusion behind him, but thankfully none of them came after him. He needed to be alone.

He wanted to be alone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Something is wrong.' Mikey thought as he lay in bed with his hands crossed behind his head staring at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. Something was wrong – with Donnie he suspected. Well more wrong that usual he meant.

The way he walked off like that…it may seem abrupt, well mainly because it WAS abrupt, but it wasn't Donnie's style of abrupt, if you followed him. Not that that made any sense whatsoever, but all in fairness it was five o clock in the morning. No one has gifted thinking at five o clock in the morning.

However, Mikey realised, he was never going to be able to salvage any sleep if he didn't stop thinking about Donatello. So it was with an in-turtle groan he dragged himself out of bed and to the lab.

Hopefully everything was alright and he was just being stupid.