Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the TMNT franchise in any way, shape, or form. No money is being made. This is just a labor of love for the series. Please don't sue me, Viacom!

Alternate Universe fic.

Warning: Only references to very mature themes in this one. If that makes you uncomfortable, please don't continue past the line below.

A/N: This one is not as long as the last one, but it's still pretty decent. Plus, I will go ahead and warn you that it is very emotional. My roommate kept asking me if I was alright everytime I worked on it. Of course, that could just be me being a sap. ^^; Again, I won't be putting an author's note at the end of this one because I don't want to detract from the end. So, instead, I want to thank you right now for being here and ask you to please be sure to follow, favorite, and/or review this chapter if you like it. Every word I get from you guys is encouragement that helps me keep going! Love you guys!

Chapter 13

Splinter sat in front of the tree in the dojo. He was trying to meditate, but lately, he could not find the peace he needed to do it properly. Donatello had been captured for a full month now. The ninja master was certain his other three sons were engaged in yet another bid to rescue their missing brother. His concerns for their safety swirled in his mind, complicating his ability to focus. Foremost on his mind was Donatello. He'd tried to prepare his sons for everything he thought the world above could throw at them. This included being captured but he'd always thought that scientists and the city's thugs would be the dangers his sons would face, not aliens from another dimension. He took a deep, cleansing breath while he focused his energies on prayers for his sons'…all of his sons'…safe return.

He was just managing to reach the right state of mind when he heard a commotion from the entrance to the lair. "MASTER SPLINTER!" Michelangelo shouted. He surged to his feet as his youngest rushed into the dojo and came to a stop in front of him. Mikey didn't need to say anything more. The distress on his face was enough to make Splinter hurry out of the dojo. When he reached the main room, he was treated to a sight that brought both relief and concern.

Leonardo and Raphael carefully walked down the stairs while carrying an unconscious Donatello between them. April followed behind them, helping them where she could. "Set him down," Splinter quickly, but calmly told them. His two eldest obeyed without hesitation. They carefully rested their unresponsive brother onto the couch. Mikey immediately came over and gently lifted Donnie's head to place a pillow under it. "Leonardo, you and Raphael fetch me bowls of warm water, some with soap and some without, plus clean cloths. Michelangelo, you and April bring me antiseptic cream, plenty of clean bandages, and some blankets," Splinter instructed as he frowned at the obvious injuries that afflicted Donnie. April had done what she could with the first aid kit, but it just didn't have enough.

After they left to do their assigned tasks, Splinter pressed two fingers to the side his son's neck. Donnie's pulse beat a steady rhythm against his fingers. He allowed himself a small measure of relief at this while he moved on to check his son's other vitals. A quick pass of his hand over Donnie's mouth and nose confirmed that his son was breathing. He pressed the back of the same hand to Donnie's cheek and his frown deepened at the clear sign of a fever. Then he bent more over Donnie to gently crack open his eyes and make sure that his pupils still reacted to light.

It was then that Splinter picked up on Donatello's scent. He couldn't keep from grimacing. His son hadn't had a proper bath in a month so, of course, the turtle didn't smell pleasant. He forced himself to take it in for a moment. Scent had the potential to help him figure out what was causing his son's fever. His sensitive rat nose easily picked up on the smell of blood and sweat, each of which were to be expected. There were some signs of infection which surprised him. For all intents and purposes, Donatello was the family's medic. He above all of the turtles would know the risks of allowing infection to set in. Splinter scanned his son's body, noting that Donnie had been trying to keep his wounds clean, but as time went on he'd become more and more inconsistent at the job. This bothered Splinter more than the fever.

He paused when he smelled a more subtle odor. It was obvious that Donatello had concentrated his efforts on removing this scent to the point that he'd risked neglecting everything else. However, he hadn't managed to erase it entirely. Splinter closed his eyes to focus better when he suddenly gasped; his eyes flew open and settled on Donatello's face. He stared at his son, his nose twitching…trying to make sure he'd identified the scent wrong. Sorrow filled his expression when he realized he hadn't. "No," he whispered mournfully and gently rested his hand on Donatello's head. He knew that his most intelligent son had undergone the trauma of his young life, but he never expected this.

Splinter carefully scooped Donnie off the couch, cradling his son to him for a moment. Just as he was starting to carry Donatello out of the room, Leonardo and Raphael came back in with what they had been sent for. "Sensei?" Leo questioned unsurely.

"Tell Michelangelo and April to bring what I requested to my room," Splinter bade them quietly as he brushed past them.

"Your room," Raph said in a puzzled tone. "Why not Donnie's room? Wouldn't he be more com-"

"DAMARE! Do not question me!" Splinter snapped, making Raph and Leo jerk in surprise then instantly bow to their sensei. Once Splinter had moved out of sight, Leo and Raph looked at each other in worried confusion before Leo trailed after their sensei while Raph moved off to warn April and Mikey. Leo cautiously peered into their sensei's room. He quietly watched Splinter as he gently laid Donnie onto his futon. "Help me remove your brother's gear, Leonardo," Splinter said quietly without looking at him.

Leo jumped a bit but silently came over to kneel on Donnie's other side. He supported his brother's head so Splinter could remove the bloodstained purple mask more easily. One by one, the others filtered into the room to set down their fetched items and begin helping. April was the only one that balked at taking Donnie's gear off. Instead, she asked that they let her know if they needed anything and left them to their task.

They worked in silence, wordless removing the dingy gear and piling it to the side. With each piece they took off, more wounds were found. The worst of these hidden injuries were around Donatello's wrists and ankles where the restraints had bitten into his flesh and on the soles of his feet which were covered in crisscrossing lashes. Leonardo could feel himself quaking in silent fury. They'd let that horse mutant off too easy. All he wanted to do was hunt that monstrosity down for his brother. He could tell that he wasn't alone. Raphael's resentment was blatantly written all over his face. Even Michelangelo had hatred for the Kraang's mutant burning in his normally cheerful eyes. Leo shook his head and tried to absorb himself in tending to his brother. Right now, Donnie needed them more than he needed justice. Once the last piece of gear was off, Leo began soaking cloths in the bowls of water. Raph had just plucked one from the soapy water bowl and wrung out the excess liquid when Splinter took it from him. "I will tend to him from here, my sons."

"Are you sure you don't need help, Sensei?" Mikey pressed uneasily. From what Raph had told him, Splinter was touchy about being questioned right now, but Mikey had to be sure. It looked like there wasn't an inch on Donnie's body that didn't have some kind of injury. There was a lot of work to be done and he wanted to help his brother in any way he could.

"Yes, I'm sure Michelangelo," their father replied quietly. "I will let you know if I change my mind. Please take Donatello's gear with you when you leave…and burn it."

The three of them stared at their sensei in shock. "Burn it?" Leo repeated softly. He watched Splinter for a few moments before steeling himself. "Sensei, I know you said to not question you, but…good leather is hard to come by. Donnie only has three sets of gear including this one. Couldn't we just clean it as best we can?" Leo couldn't help himself. It wasn't like Sensei to be so wasteful. Sure, the gear was downright filthy and some stains would remain no matter how hard they tried, but salvaging it would be better than destroying it. …right?

"Leonardo," Splinter began, his voice stern. Leo sweated nervously, expecting something worse than being snapped at this time, but stood his ground none the less. Sensei glared at him for a moment before he saw Leo's resolve and sighed quietly. "What you say is true, Leonardo. But trust me," Splinter continued more calmly. "No amount of cleaning will ever make that gear fit to wear again. Burn it. I will see to its replacement." Leo swallowed at this before nodding quietly. They stood up, collected the gear, and turned to leave. "No one is to come in here without knocking and waiting for me to give permission first. Make sure April is aware of this." The three brothers looked back at their sensei in confusion but bowed in acknowledgment. Once his three healthy sons had left the room, Splinter sighed as though his very soul was weary. He took the cloth in his hand and soaked it again to replenish its warmth. Then he gently rested his other hand against the side of Donatello's face and caressed soothingly along one of his son's eye ridges with his thumb. "Forgive me, my son. But I must find out if any damage has been done…and how severe it is."

April was waiting for them in front of the tree. She got up to meet them halfway. Her eyes were red like she'd been crying. Mikey took one look at her and quickly wrapped her up in a hug that they both needed. They'd gotten Donnie home alright…but now began the part that none of them had had the forethought to consider: their brother's recovery from whatever torment he'd been put through. Leo took a shaky breath as he thought about what was potentially ahead of them. He was certain that the reality of Donnie's condition was worse than what they knew. Splinter was clearly hiding something. He had no idea what but sitting around in the dojo wasn't going to do any good. "Let's…let's go wait in the living room. Maybe get a little something to eat?" he suggested to his brothers and their friend. They quietly nodded, each too absorbed in their own thoughts to argue.

They had just gotten to the dojo's exit when an agonized whimper like nothing they had ever heard before echo out from Splinter's room. The four of them stopped in their tracks, identical looks of horror on each of their faces. More cries, each one more pitiful than the last, followed the first. Raph quickly squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth before he marched out of the dojo, stubbornly refusing to lose it front of the others. April choked off a sob as she covered her mouth to stifle herself. Mikey quivered while he sank to the floor where he quietly began to cry. The pain in Donatello's voice was too much for him to bear. Leo turned around and walked back to their sensei's door. He stopped short of going in even though he really wanted to. "Donnie," he whispered as the tears he'd managed to fight back since his brother's capture finally found their way down his face. The horse mutant had been right. Their victory had been more fleeting than Leo could ever have imagined.

It was two in the morning and everyone was exhausted. Yet none of them were willing to go to bed. They were too worried for sleep. Splinter had been sequestered in his room with Donatello for a few of hours now. It was to be expected. Donnie had too many injuries for one person to quickly patch up on their own. They hadn't heard any more cries from their sensei's room since the beginning so it seemed that Donnie had passed out again.

Raphael had headed straight for the practice dummy. Even now, he tirelessly punched it as though he could pummel away his misery. He hated feeling helpless and that was exactly how he felt right now. There had to be something he could do! Other than run out into the city and hunt down the monster that had hurt Donnie. How he wished he had that horse mutant in front of him right now. He'd pound that freak into such a bloody pulp that NO ONE would be able to figure out what it was! He stopped his attack on the dummy and rested his arm against its stand for a moment so he could catch his breath. As much as he wanted to do that, he was too worried about Donnie to leave. Splinter's odd behavior wasn't helping to ease his worries. It had him thinking that his little brother was on the verge of death! If Donnie was actually going to die, Raph would never forgive himself if he wasn't there to say goodbye. So Raph tried to make do with the practice dummy and wait for some kind of news.

Leonardo had the TV on while he tried to watch a late night re-run of Space Heroes. For once his favorite TV show couldn't distract him from the concerns of the real world. After he'd managed to get himself back under control, he herded everyone else into the living room to make sure no one got it in their heads to disobey Splinter. He'd thought about leaving to burn Donatello's gear as Splinter had asked but he chose to wait for now. He wanted to be there when Splinter finally came out with an update on Donnie's condition. His eyes closed as he thought back to what he'd seen of Donnie's injuries. He didn't remember spotting any that looked fatal but…that didn't mean there wasn't any that were. The sounds of explosions pulled his eyes back to the TV. He made a deep sigh and tried to focus on his distraction.

April had her history book out as she tried to study. That was going about as well as you'd guess. She shook her head, suddenly realizing that she'd read the same paragraph five times. The pages made a quiet thump when she closed the book before resting her forehead against its spine. All she could think about was poor Donnie. She was not so naive that she expected him to be unharmed when they rescued him, but she hadn't imagined the level of brutality her friend had been subjected to. Not to mention the impact a month of torture would have on his mental state. Whenever she closed her eyes, her mind called forth the image of Donnie begging her to abandon him again, his normally bright, warm eyes dulled by despair. She'd never seen him even remotely like that and the memory made tears sting at her eyes every time.

Michelangelo sat on the beanbag chair with his knees drawn up to his plastron while he watched the others try to distract themselves. Mikey didn't want to be distracted. He wanted to think about Donatello. He wanted to think about every cut, burn, and bruise that marked Donnie's body. He never wanted to forget the awful sight of his brother weeping in hopelessness. Or the suffering in his whimpers here at the lair. As far as Mikey was concerned, Donnie had been through too much for him to even consider thinking about something else. All he could think about was how much he wanted to help. And how much he wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened to his brainiac brother again.

The moment Splinter walked into the room the TV clicked off and everyone came over to him. "How is he, Sensei?" Leo asked the question that was on all their minds.

Splinter made a very slow, melancholic sigh. He carefully considered his words before answering. "None of his injuries are particularly life-threatening." Relieved sighs drifted among his students. "Of more concern to me is his fever. Considering…some of his injuries, I suspect the cause is an infection. I believe he needs an antibiotic. However, antibiotics are one of the medicines that are nearly impossible for us to get. Not to mention, I have no idea which antibiotic would be most helpful. I'm afraid that this is Donatello's area of expertise and I'm…fumbling through it."

April and the turtles looked at each other fretfully. "He'll be able to fight it off without the medicine…right?" Raph asked, his eyes finally getting wavy with moisture. He couldn't stand the idea of finally getting Donnie home after all this time only to lose him to some stupid sickness. It hurt even more to know that if it had been anyone else, they would be fine because Donnie would be there to bail them out.

"I don't know. If he was healthy, I would be more confident. However, his ordeal has left him so weak that I fear the worst," Splinter replied solemnly.

Leo and Raph both closed their eyes and hung their heads. This was not the news they'd hoped for. April hugged herself as she tried to keep herself from crying again with only partial success. It was in the midst of all this that Mikey spoke, "Master Splinter…what does an astronautic look like?"

Splinter was surprised at the question. "Antibiotic," he gently corrected. "I believe that they normally look like pills. Why do you ask, my son?"

"Because…um," Mikey said as he quickly dug through his belt. A small smile touched his face when he found and pulled out a plastic bottle. "I think I found some?" He hurriedly handed over the item to their father.

Splinter immediately looked over the vial until he came across a label. While Splinter read it, the others looked at Mikey in shock. "Where did you find that?" Leo asked incredulously. He wanted to believe that Mikey had just saved the day, but he wasn't sure he should. They'd had enough false hopes for one night.

"At the Kraang base where Donnie was. Remember when you cut open Nightmare's pockets to get the remote control thingy? That fell out too!" Mikey responded optimistically as hope began to swell in his heart.

"Nightmare?" Leo asked while raising an eye ridge.

"Well, he's like the worst dream ever and he's a horse. So I thought…"

Leo put up his hands to stop Mikey's exposition, not even bothering to correct his little brother. "We get it!"

"It doesn't matter what you call him. He's gonna be glue when I finally get my hands on him," Raph growled irritably. "But I will back you up, Mikey. I remember that bottle," he continued, while he turned to April who nodded in agreement. "The horse guy…Nightmare…was carrying it just before he spotted us. Maybe he was bringing it to Donnie."

"Well done, Michelangelo! I believe that this is exactly what we need," Splinter said, bringing thankful smiles to all their faces. Their sensei handed the vial back to Mikey. "Take one of the pills, grind it into a powder, and then dissolve it in a bowl of broth. Once you've done that, bring the bowl to me. Make sure the broth is only just warm."

"HAI, SENSEI!" Mikey happily shouted before racing into the kitchen.

"Raphael, bring me the thermometer. I need to determine if I should give your brother a fever reducer or if is safe to let the fever run its course. Leonardo, bring me the fever reducer…just in case," Splinter instructed. Both turtles nodded before running off once again to fetch the requested items.

"Is there anything I can do, Master Splinter?" April asked, eager to help in any way she could.

Splinter considered her for a moment. Then he smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder. "You can bring me a bowl of lukewarm water and few more clean cloths. I'm sure Donatello will appreciate the feel of something cooling on his forehead. No cold water, though. It will just make him shiver and his temperature will rise even more that it already has."

April nodded at this before she went to the kitchen. Mikey already had a pot of water with a bouillon cube in it on the stove. While he waited for the water to boil, he busily pounded one of the pills into dust. April got the water and was just about to leave for the bathroom to get the cloths when she spotted a kitchen towel. After some consideration, she decided that the towels might work better. They were similar to the cloths they use for treating wounds, but thinner so they would dry out faster. Hopefully, that would mean they would wick away more sweat and with it the excess heat. Plus, it would keep her from having to compete for space with Leo and Raph. She could hear them fussing with each other while they searched the cramped bathroom for their items. So, she put a couple of clean towels in the water to soak while she headed for Splinter's room.

She was about to walk in when she remembered what Raph had told her. Splinter was expecting her, but that didn't necessarily mean that it was OK to just come in. She quietly knocked on the frame of the shoji door. "Enter," came her teacher's soft reply. April hesitated for a moment, uncomfortable about walking in and seeing her friend naked. She felt foolish for worrying so much about that. It was obvious by their minimal clothing that the turtles didn't define 'naked' quite the same way she did. Although, she could tell that they did have a sense of modesty. Despite having lived with them for a few of months now, she'd never seen any of them without some part of their gear on. She'd caught Raph and Leo without their knee and elbow pads. Mikey was the closest she'd come to seeing without a stitch of gear, but even then he'd still had his mask on. She blinked as she suddenly realized that Donnie was the only one that was fully 'dressed' around her at all times. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. He would be the one that was most considerate to her human sensibilities.

After taking a bolstering breath, April slid the door open and promptly let out a little sigh of relief. Splinter had a light blanket draped over Donnie so that all she saw was his face and upper plastron. Donnie looked a lot better now that he was clean and bandaged up. However, now she could better see the symptoms of his illness. He was quietly panting in his sleep and sweat ran in little trickles all down his face and neck. She came over to kneel at his side so she could begin dabbing at his overheated skin with a towel. He made a soft moan and rolled his face towards the source of the coolness.

Her eyes burned, but she refused to cry. He was still responding to stimuli. That was something to be thankful for. She swapped out the towel she was using for a new one which she gently draped across his forehead. While she rinsed the first one, she watched his face. She hadn't expected him to look so different without his mask. It was only a strip of cloth after all. She kind of liked it. The only thing that would make what she saw better would be if his eyes were open. However, she didn't want to see his eyes just yet. He needed all the rest he could get.

"Thank you, my child," Splinter told her as he watched her tend to Donatello, making her smile a little bit. She'd only been in the room for a couple of minutes when there was a knock at the door. Splinter gave his permission and Leonardo walked into the room followed by Raphael. They both came over to Splinter, who accepted their items. "Thank you, my sons. Now, the three of you go and get some sleep. We do not need anyone else falling ill."

Raph shifted while he watched Splinter gently place the thermometer into Donnie's mouth and hold it in place. "We haven't gone to burn the gear yet," he admitted quietly. "We…we were too worried about Donnie to go do it."

Their sensei nodded acceptingly. "Go take care of that first, then. But come straight home after it's done. Now is not the time to seek vengeance. Do you understand?" Splinter asked. Leo and Raph nodded. They could tell that, even though Splinter was speaking to Raph, the directive was for both of them.

"Um…" said an unsure voice. "Someone wanna get the door? I can't knock." Michelangelo called from the other side. Leo opened the door for him. Mikey slowly came in, gripping a bowl between his hands as though he thought the world would end if he spilled a single drop. "Thanks!" Leo gave Mikey a small smile before he and Raph left to fulfill their duty. Just before April left the room as well, she heard Mikey say, "Here you go, Sensei. One bowl of probiotic broth!" She resisted a chuckle at the little word confusion and knew that if Donnie had been awake he'd have face-palmed at it. Even though sleep was the last thing she wanted to do right now, she headed for her bed. Master Splinter was right. There was no sense in anyone else coming down with something thanks to exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Splinter smiled at his son. He knew what Mikey really meant. "Thank you, Michelangelo. Could you hold it for a moment longer?" Mikey nodded as he came over and knelt beside Splinter to wait. After a few minutes, Splinter checked the thermometer. He frowned at the results. "103…too high…especially for you four." He plucked up the bottle of fever reducer and removed the appropriate dose. They were gel caplets so Splinter carefully broke the casings over the bowl, tapped the powder within into the broth, and then slowly stirred in the medicine with the spoon Mikey had brought with him. Once that was complete, Splinter moved closer to Donnie so that he could gently lift the turtle in a semi-upright position.

Donnie whined feebly at being shifted. Mikey saw his brother's eyes crack open. The brown orbs that normally shone with mind-blowing intelligence were vacant and it really scared him. "Don…Donnie's gonna be OK, right Master Splinter?" he asked nervously as he watched their father press the bowl to Donatello's lips and carefully tilt it so that the broth slowly poured into his mouth. Donnie's eye ridges knit together briefly before he began drinking, his eyes sliding closed again.

Their sensei sighed quietly before making an uncertain swallow. "His injuries will heal," was the careful response. Mikey looked downward, his fingers curling into tight fists against his thighs. Why wasn't Sensei giving them straight answers? Splinter glanced at his youngest and sighed at the expression of apprehension and frustration he found. "Your brother has been robbed of everything, Michelangelo. His health, his sense of control, his…his dignity. I'm trying to give back a little of what was taken. Even if it's just some small measure of privacy."

Michelangelo swallowed hard while Splinter pulled the now empty bowl away from Donatello. "You know more about what happened to him, don't you Sensei?"

"He was tortured, Michelangelo. Is that knowledge not enough?" Splinter responded, his voice getting a rough edge to it as he carefully laid Donnie back onto the futon.

Mikey felt bad for pressing like this…but he had to know. "It is," he admitted weakly. "But…but you…you're acting like…like you found out that something else happened. Something even worse." Splinter turned to look at Mikey. His expression became more troubled that it already was while he watched the tears trickle out of his youngest's eyes. "Please, Sensei. What happened to my brother?"

Splinter looked downward at the forlorn question. "I must speak with Donatello about what happened first, Michelangelo. He MUST be given a choice in this," Splinter stressed to his son. Mikey turned his head away with a sniffle. Splinter quietly rested his hand on Mikey's shoulder. "I know it is hard to be so in the dark, my son, but right now it's for the best."

Mikey looked back at their father then at Donnie. "Hai, Sensei," he said softly. After watching Donnie sleep for a few moments, determination filled his entire bearing. "What can I do?" he asked unfalteringly.

"You can go to bed."

"But…" Mikey started to protest.

"Michelangelo…you, your brothers, and April brought Donatello home. You have done enough for tonight. Go rest now. I will look after him." Mikey opened his mouth to objection more, but Splinter headed him off. "You can help tomorrow after you have gotten some sleep. This is not up for debate," Splinter said sternly. He watched his son look stubborn for a bit longer before he backed down with a sigh.

"Hai, Sensei."

It had been seven days since Donatello had been rescued and he was still in a mostly unconscious state. His fever had finally broken two days earlier. Splinter continued to keep Donnie in his room. He said that his room was quieter and would allow Donnie to rest undisturbed by any ruckus that may happen in the rest of the lair. Their sensei had kept his promise to Michelangelo and was allowing the young ninja to help in his fallen brother's care. In fact, all of them were encouraged to help tend to Donnie, which they didn't hesitant to do. They worked in shifts, insuring that Donnie was never alone and that none of them were overworked. Every day they watched for some sign of recovery from the olive skinned turtle. Beyond the fading of bruises and the scabbing of cuts, there was nothing.

Leonardo was currently the one on duty. He silently read one of his comic books while he knelt beside his brother. Mikey had already given Donnie his antibiotic broth during his shift and April had given him plenty of water during hers. Splinter had bathed Donnie and taken him to the restroom. Their sensei insisted that he be the only one to do those things. Leo was fine with that. He was pretty sure he didn't want to know how you got an unconscious person to do their business.

It was a quiet shift now that Donnie wasn't burning up so badly. Before, Leo had to frantically fight to keep the fever from raging out of control. Now there was nothing to do but watch and wait. It was the perfect environment to mediate. However, Leo didn't because he was nervous that he wouldn't be as aware of his brother as he should be. He'd nearly died of boredom yesterday thanks to that worry. Desperate for something to do besides count the off-color spots on Donnie's arms, he'd kept finding reasons to change his brother's blankets. 'Too thick, too thin, too scratchy, could be softer.' He ended up changing them so often that he nearly gave poor Donnie a chill. The last thing he wanted to do was make his brother feverish again. So today he'd come prepared.

Captain Ryan was just about to defeat the evil Digestors when Leo heard a soft groan from in front of him. He glanced at his brother's prone form in time to watch Donnie's eyes slowly flutter open and begin puzzling over the ceiling. Leo suddenly couldn't care less about his hero's triumph. He put the comic down so fast it was like he'd acquired super-speed. "Donatello?" Donnie turned towards his voice and Leo watched his brother's eye ridges crease in uncertainty. "Heh-hey! Hey Donnie," he said softly but warmly while he leaned over Donnie. He'd only just managed to get the words out. It was like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.

Donnie slowly lifted a hand to reach out and touch Leo on the face. He could tell that he was awake. However, he wasn't so sure that he was no longer in the throes of his fever. Just because he didn't feel hot didn't mean it wasn't part of his delirium. If this wasn't real, if Leo really was part of some fever-induced delusion then he wouldn't be able to touch him. He jerked his hand back hesitantly when Leo leaned down more to meet him halfway. Leo didn't push the issue. He just held very still and let Donnie decide what to do next. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt his hand tentatively rest against Leo's cheek. Donnie made a shuddering gasp at the warmth beneath his fingertips and his eyes started brimming with tears. "It wasn't a fever dream?" he whispered.

Leo quickly gripped Donnie's hand in both of his. "No, it wasn't, Donnie. You're home. You're really home." Leo had to pause for a moment to control the emotional tremble that wanted to choke his voice. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Not as happy as I am to see you!" Donnie replied with a sob and a quivering smile. Leo swallowed hard at the tears and could feel his own eyes misting up.

The door abruptly slid open. "That's it, Leo! I can't take it anymore. You and me are switching shifts!" Raph declared irritably as he stormed in with an arm full of fresh towels, blankets, and bottles of water to replenish the supply in Splinter's room.

"Raph," Leo said, never taking his eyes off Donnie while trying to get his red clad brother's attention.

"I can't take going out on patrol with just Mikey! He's too busy screwing around to take it seriously! He's driving me up the wall!"

"Raph," Leo said again, louder this time. His irritation grew as he watched Raph put things away. He hadn't even looked at them yet! Meanwhile, Donnie could feel his smile getting bigger. Listening to his temperamental brother gripe was like music to his ears.

"I don't know what I spend more time doing! Beating up the Foot or smacking sense into him! Not that it does any good! If he doesn't stop playing, I swear I'm gonna shove my foot right up his-"

"RAPH!"

"WHAT?!" Raph snapped as he finally whirled around to face Leo. His expression went from angry to stunned the moment he noticed Donnie's eyes were open. "Donnie?"

Donnie's smile brightened at the look on his brother's face. "Hey, Raph."

An overjoyed smile started spreading onto Raph face before he suddenly became exasperated again. "DANG IT, LEO! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?!"

Leo's eye ridges forked down sharply. "I wa-" was all he managed to get out before Raph hurried back to the door.

"SENSEI! MIKEY! APRIL! HE'S AWAKE! DONNIE'S AWAKE!" Raph exuberantly shouted to the rest of the lair. He didn't even notice the daggers Leo's eyes were throwing at his back. Leo silently seethed while looking like he was sucking on the sourest lemon that ever existed. Quiet laughter pulled him out of his huff. He looked down at Donnie to see that his brother had worked out Leo's earlier indecision by laughing and crying at the same time. Donnie had never been so thrilled to see Leo and Raph argue in all his life. Leo blinked in surprise and then smiled gently. The smile only widened when Raph rushed over to them and bundled Donnie up into a bear hug. "You scared the heck outta me," Raph admitted while holding Donnie as though he was sure the moment he let his brother go he would disappear.

Donnie grunted at the force behind the hug before he replied with a quiet, "I'm sorry." He returned Raph's hug with all the strength his still weakened body could summon.

Within minutes Mikey and April rushed in. Splinter followed at a much more dignified pace. "Donnie!" Mikey shouted gleefully, ran over, and hugged Donnie around the neck, sandwiching their genius brother between him and Raph. "Glad you're awake, bro! I was starting to forget what color your eyes were!" Another sobbing chuckle bubbled up as Donnie tried to look over his shoulder at Mikey. Mikey immediately nuzzled Donnie's cheek while joining him in tear-filled laughter.

April smiled when Leonardo finally join the group hug that had enveloped Donatello by wrapping his arms around all his brothers and resting his cheek against the back of Donnie's head. She wanted to jump in too, but she felt like she'd be intruding. Sure, she was their friend and had been just as concerned about Donnie as they were, but they were family…she wasn't. So she tried to content herself with just watching their happy reunion. Raphael soon noticed that she was hanging back. Once he caught her attention, he gestured for her to come over. April looked unsure but did as he requested. The minute she got close enough Raph snagged her by the arm and pulled her into their quartet. She squeaked, squeezed her eyes closed and quickly grabbed the first thing she could to keep herself from falling flat to the floor. When she dared to open her eyes again, she realized that Raph had wedged her right between him and Donnie. The thing she'd grabbed to stop her fall was the edges of Donnie's plastron.

Donnie blinked in surprised as he looked down at her. Then he leaned his head down to gently rest his forehead against hers. "Hi," was all he managed to get out before his tears choked his voice to the point that no sound could come out. He didn't care. Words could never begin to describe how relieved he was that she was safe anyways.

His simple little greeting made April laugh as the tears that were swimming in her eyes finally spilled out. Her arms joined Mikey's around Donnie's neck and she pressed her forehead back against his. "Hi Donnie," she shakily murmured while she smiled ecstatically. Donnie was home; he was awake and on the mend. She was sure that he'd be a little rough for a while, but finally, things could start going back to normal.

Splinter watched his sons and April celebrate. His pupils deserved this moment of joy. He sensed that too soon such moments would be a rarity. His other son's hadn't detected it yet but he could see that Donatello's eyes were not as vibrant as they normally were and his entire demeanor was subdued. It was true that Donatello was still hurt and that he'd always been the most introverted of the four, but Splinter could tell that this was more. He tried to set his concerns for the future aside so he could focus on the here and now.

He quietly approached and reached out a hand to gently rest it on top of Donatello's head. His second youngest son flinched at his touch before lifting his head to look at him. The apprehension that had suddenly filled his features disappeared almost instantly. "Sensei!" Donnie exclaimed in noticeable relief.

Splinter knelt opposite Leonardo while smoothing his hand soothingly over Donnie's head. "It is good to have you back, my son," the ninja master said with an affectionate smile. His other three sons and April moved back some to allow Splinter to embrace Donnie. They were surprised when their sensei didn't move to do so. He just knelt there patiently waiting. Donnie didn't keep Splinter waiting for long. He crawled out from under his blanket to snuggle himself against Splinter's front. It was only then that their sensei carefully enfolded his arms around their brother and slowly lowered his muzzle to touch his nose against Donnie's head.

Donnie choked back a whimper that wanted to work its way out. The second his father's protective embrace surrounded him all the suffering he'd been through flooded back, nearly overwhelming him. His hands clenched in Splinter's kimono while he gritted his teeth, trying to fight against it. He didn't want to ruin this moment of happiness and trembled from the efforts of keeping his traumatic memories contained.

Splinter felt Donnie tremble against him and decided it was a sign of fatigue. "My sons," he spoke up quietly. The other turtles plus April immediately gave him their undivided attention. "I believe that it is time for Donatello to rest. He still has much to recover from." They seemed very disappointed but nodded acceptingly. Donnie swallowed hard and closed his eyes; he'd still managed to ruin everything. He couldn't stop himself from wincing when he felt a hand rest on top of his head again.

Donnie turned around in time to see the worried look on Raph's face vanish into a smile. He swallowed but managed to return the smile as Raph stroked his head reassuringly before turning to leave. Mikey eagerly moved closer. He grabbed Donnie by the cheeks, pressed their noses together and vigorously nuzzled. Donnie chuckled quietly at his little brother's Eskimo kiss. Even though he really didn't feel like laughing anymore, he'd missed Mikey's antics too much to not react happily at them. Once Mikey let him go, April moved in to hug him around his neck. Donnie made a shaky sigh at this before returning the affection in kind. He'd missed them all so much; he really didn't want them to leave. But he wasn't sure he could hold himself together much longer and he didn't want them to see him break down.

The only one that didn't move to leave was Leo. "Leonardo…is there something wrong?" Splinter asked curiously.

Leo looked genuinely puzzled at the question. "It's still my shift, Sensei."

Splinter smiled at Leo's devotion. "There is no need for shifts anymore. I do not believe your brother is in danger. Besides, after today's little excitement, I'm sure you all could do with some extra rest." Leo seemed a little unsure but nodded acceptingly. Before getting up, Leo gently rested his hand on Donnie's shoulder, prompting a faint smile from his little brother. Once Leo had left, Splinter coaxed Donnie back onto the futon. He couldn't resist a nostalgic smile as he tucked the blankets around his son.

When the ninja master started to get up to let him go back to sleep, Donnie felt this intense panic rush to the forefront of his mind. He grabbed the sleeve of Splinter's kimono and tugged on it timidly. "Sensei? …Otousan?"

Splinter was only a bit surprised at the resurgence of his son's childhood name for him. "Yes, Donatello?" he asked softly while settling back down.

"I…I don't want to go to sleep." Donnie swallowed hard before looking down from his father's eyes. "I…I'm afraid that…that when I wake up again…I'll be back in my cell," he continued weakly, his eyes welling up with anxious tears as he returned them to his sensei's. He felt so pathetic for letting his fear get the better of him like this.

Sorrow filled Splinter's expression as he rested his hand on Donnie's forehead comfortingly. "I promise you, Donatello. When you awaken, you will still be here…and so will we."